Aftershocks
by Suji94
Summary: CassxJason "Aftershocks" is the third Fanfic story 1) "Bat Bullseye" 2) "Red Smiles" This time the couple face more villians and more complications. Cass and Jason both have to face their fears, and Cass's heart is at risk. ;) I don't own DC or any of their characters.
1. Chapter 1

_Thanks again for the reviews. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 1

Cass stopped to look at her bare back in the mirror. The burn scars from the Joker's joy buzzer weeks ago were fading to match the other ones Cain had given her. She pulled on her shirt and continued walking into her kitchen of her apartment. It had been a while since she came home, but she knew Alfred had stopped by to tidy up the place before she settled back in.

She leaned against the counter with her eyes closed and a deep breath trapped in her chest. Her mind was too clouded to feel anything right now, but she felt like she had swallowed concrete. Jason wasn't there when she woke up at the Manor. She had been asleep for three days, and it frustrated her that she had wasted time like that.

Bruce had taken away the Batgirl uniform from her. She didn't have Jason, and she didn't have the cowl, so she felt like she had nothing. There was a knock at her door, so she glanced at it and started heading in that direction.

When she opened the door she smiled a bit, then turned back to go sit in the living room. "Hey, not happy to see me?" Dick was in his civilian clothes with a smile on his face. He awkwardly stood in the doorway then followed her. "Bruce – asked me to check up on you." Cass nodded her head, reaching for the remote and turning on the TV to pretend to be more interested on what was on it, but he knew better. He studied her as he sat himself down turning a chair backwards to face her. He rested his crossed arms on the back of it.

"I'm fine." She tossed the remote off to the side and grabbed a couch pillow, pressing it to her chest and avoided looking Dick in the eye.

"You haven't seen him, have you?" He asked, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye, and his body stiffened. "And there's the Asian death glare…" Dick chuckled as he shifted his body uncomfortably on the chair. "Look, we all knew this would happen, Cass." She turned up the volume, acting as if it was too loud she couldn't hear him. "I'm saying this as your older brother, Cass. Jason is -"

"Angry," she finished, "with me."

He sighed, tapping his heel against the floor as he tried to find the right words. "That's how he is. And it's better if he's gone, Cass. Believe me."

"Better for you. Better for Bruce. Not better for me." She shut off the TV and turned her body to face him, her eyes felt hot and her vision was blurry.

"Cass…" Dick stood up immediately, feeling the threat of her crying. When it came to things like this, he was always afraid of saying the wrong things, and he never knew what to do to make it better. Not to mention, it was Cass. She slammed the pillow into him, pushing him away weakly. "He'll come back. Don't worry." He put his hand awkwardly on her shoulder.

"Joker captured us. I did nothing." Her lips pressed together, when she lowered her head. "Useless. I was useless." Dick watched droplets fall onto the back of her hands on her lap. Seeing her cry was making him panic.

"Hey," He sat down in front of her and pressed her head into his chest, "It's what the Joker does. He catches you off guard, and messes with your head. We've all been tested by him - especially Bruce. It's not your fault." Dick pattered her back softly and he could tell she was rubbing her eyes.

"But Jason won't come back." She continued wiping away her tears, and he didn't know what to tell her. All he could do was think in circles and try to comfort his little sister.

…

"Well, well, what brings _you_ back to Gotham?" Dick pressed his arm across his chest staring past the red metal, searching for his eyes.

"Cassandra," when he answered, Jason's body twitched. He closed his eyes behind the hood and clamped his mouth shut. Dick slammed him against the wall.

"So what?" Jason grunted trying to pry Dick's hand away, but the grip was too strong for him to break.

"Don't play dumb!" Again, Dick slammed him against the wall, anger protruding from his mask. Jason could feel his stomach tighten.

"There's nothing between us anymore." He slammed his elbow into Dick's jaw, and jumped off to the side taking a stance. Dick staggered holding his chin then dropped his hands to his sides.

"Really? Is that why you left – like a coward?" Dick tightened his fists, remembering the drops of saltwater crash onto the back of Cass's hands.

"You don't know what you're talking about." Jason retorted with his knees bending him lower to the ground. He watched Dick's Nightwing symbol rush up to him with a kick aiming for his stomach. He blocked and punched for his face. Dick dodged, gritting his teeth.

"I don't? You didn't – see – her – cry!" One of Dick's hook punches landed square in Jason's kidneys.

Jason gasped, and recoiled with a sweeping kick at Dick's feet, but he spun through the air before it made contact. "It – it doesn't matter – I -" Before he could finish, his vision went dark for a second with his head pounding, but when he blinked, he realized his helmet had been knocked off and Dick was on top of him with a fist reared back, and his other hand grasping tightly on his collar.

"Just shut up!" Dick knocked his fist against his face, and Jason felt his cheek collide with his own teeth. "She blames herself for all of it. We told her it wasn't. But -" Jason's eyes widened looking up at Dick's expression. "She won't listen unless you tell her." Dick's hands let go, and he stood up.

Jason propped himself up on his elbow and wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. "I can't do it." He stared down at the asphalt and sighed. "She almost died; I – I let her down."

"You're letting her down now." Dick looked down at him with pity and anger still filling his chest as he caught his breath. Jason's eyes rose to meet his, only to find his back turned towards him as he walked away.

"Grayson," Dick turned to see Jason getting up on his feet, "I want to see the Joker first."


	2. Chapter 2

_Ah how I love seeing your nice reviews. So don't be afraid to post more or even PM me! Be sure to tell me what you like or don't like!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters. But hey as long as I have a disclaimer I can still write about them and no harm, no foul. And you guys can keep reading. So enjoy!_

Chapter 2

"Nightwing I'm at Arkham, so now do you want to explain to me what's going on?" Tim pressed on his ear on the rooftop of Arkham Asylum, then waited for a reply, but instead he heard the click of gun. He sprung up from his crouch with one of his shuriken in his fingers.

"Relax, kid." Jason held his hands up, but one was closed.

"What do you want?" Tim's eyes narrowed at him behind his mask, eyeing the closed hand carefully. Jason smirked holding it out as if he wanted to give him something. "What's that?"

"Bullets."

"It's alright, Tim." Dick cascaded through the air landing next to him. "He's with me."

"Yeah right, after what he did to Cass -" Tim stopped when Dick put his hand on his shoulder.

"You mean what _Joker _did to Cass." Dick corrected, but Tim shook him off and took the bullets out of Jason's hand as if smacking it away.

"_He_ might as well be the person who did it to her." Tim spat, and Jason took a step back with his smirk immediately disappearing. Dick glanced over at him then back at Jason.

"That's enough." Dick new he had caught both of their attention and he nodded his head at Jason, "Ready?" He watched him take a breath with his fists tightening in his gloves.

"Ready for what?" Tim asked, but Jason and Dick were both silent.

"I need you be in the room when I test myself." Jason looked down at his hands with a deep breath.

"Why?"

"So I don't kill him."

…

"Well aren't I the lucky one? Three birds all visiting little ole me." His laughed pierced Jason's ear as he eyed him. "Aren't you supposed to be dead? Well let's face it, it's not the first time, am I right?" Jason could feel his muscles restrict as he stared down at the Joker's face. "How's your girlfriend? Now what was her name?" Joker's smile cracked even wider. "Cass?"

Jason lunged forward, but two pairs of hands grabbed onto his shoulders, holding him back. He grabbed onto the Joker's straight jacket with his teeth grinding together. "Don't you dare say her name."

"Jason!" Dick pulled back on his shoulder looking at Tim in the corner of his eye. He was barely holding him back.

"So Hoodie, you want to ask me something or did you just want to see my pretty face?" Joker laughed seeing Jason's body tremble with anger.

He took a breath and pushed away Tim and Dick's hands, facing them. "I have nothing to say to you."

"Really now? Well maybe I should tell you something." Jason turned his head to listen, as Dick and Tim gave each other nervous glances. "I want to know how loud she'll scream your name before I kill her."

"You son-of-a -" Jason slammed his fist against Joker's face, gripping onto the straight jacket to make sure he couldn't get away. Joker was laughing with every blow. "If you touch her! I swear -"

"Jason, stop!" Dick held onto Jason's arms, pulling back as hard as he could. "Stop!" Jason felt Joker's jaw cracking against his knuckles. "You'll kill him!" He held back, breathing hard, and he watched the blood on his gloves drip onto the floor.

Joker coughed, spitting a tooth out, and chuckled. "You - bats are all the same." He coughed a bit more, "All bark – and no bite. Can't break the moral code, can you?" Tim's fingers bit into Jason's shoulders.

"Jason, come on. You got what you came for." Dick glared at Joker's battered face and pulled Jason back through the open door. The Joker's laugh seeped through the cracks of the door when they shut it, as Dick eyed Jason. He let go looking down at his own shaking hands.

"I almost didn't stop you." Tim looked up at Jason then down at Dick's hands. "Nightwing -" But Dick shook his head, noticing Jason walking away down the hall. "Hey where do you think you're going?"

Dick held his breath, remembering the Joker's taunts about Cass. He could almost see her in a wheelchair just like Barbara. He closed his eyes remembering how angry he was then and how much he wanted Joker to feel everything that Barbara felt, then he opened them looking at Jason's back. "I get it now. You're trying to prove yourself to him – to Batman."

"It's not _for_ him," Jason stopped and answered simply. "But I want to talk to him – alone. I know that's what she'll want me to do."

"Alright I'll contact him, but no guarantees."

"But -" Tim objected, but Dick put his hand out to tell him to stop.

"And after that, you'll go see her."

Jason smirked when he turned around, "it looks like I don't have a choice, do I?"


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry for all the touchy-feely stuff! And sorry it's so short! But I promise for more action in the chapters ahead! _

_Thanks for reading and don't forget to PM me or give me reviews!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 3

"Cass, I'm glad you're here." Babs rolled back away from her computer and took off her glasses to clean them. Cass was standing against the wall with her arms crossed, and her eyes lowered. She could see in the corner of her eye, Black Canary's marker on the screen. Babs put on her glasses again. "Have you eaten yet?" Cass lied and nodded, knowing that Babs would offer her something healthy. "I see." Babs put her finger on her headset with her eyebrows furrowed together. "Confirmed, Black Canary." She sighed as she tapped the headset then took it off and set it in her lap. "I have something for you."

Cass looked up with confusion written on her face, noticing Babs pointing a finger on the couch. She bounced off of the wall and looked at it. "But Bruce said -"

"I know, but I also know how you feel, right now." Babs answered with a small smile, watching Cass hold the Batgirl uniform to her chest. "In this line of work, we are always put up to danger. Bruce should know that – but seeing you almost end up like Jason really upset – both of us, Cassandra."

Cass nodded, squeezing the uniform to her chest then nearly sprinting to hug Babs. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Babs hugged back then straightened Cass's hair out when she looked at her. "But don't cut off your com-link." Her eyes narrowed looking into Cass's eyes, and she reluctantly nodded slowly.

…

"Batman, this is Nightwing." Bruce's hand involuntarily went up to his ear.

"What is it?" He shifted his body and landed on top of the courthouse.

"Are you busy?" Bruce could hear the hesitation in his voice when Dick asked.

"If it's something personal; I don't have time." He unhooked a batarang from his utility belt and tossed it, splitting into a gun that was in a mugger's hand. Bruce landed behind the mugger as the man darted away, and tied him up, to drag him in front of the courthouse.

"This is - kind of important." Dick seemed to be a bit out of breath. "Jason is headed your way." Bruce heard footsteps behind him, so he turned around with his hand over his belt, then relaxed seeing who it was.

"I see you visited the Lazarus Pit." Bruce looked at Jason's guns in his holsters.

"I wanted to tell you I understand now." Jason crossed his arms and leaned up against the wall, watching Bruce's fist collide with the mugger's jaw, so he was unconscious and easier to deal with.

"I'm listening." Bruce adjusted his cape and tightened his gloves around his wrists.

"I'd be too easy to kill him." Jason pinched the bridge of his nose. "Look, I'm not really good at saying these kinds of things but I get it, alright?" Bruce could see he was getting frustrated with himself. "I made mistakes – a lot of them – and watching _him_ do that to her, I knew what it was like. It was my fault." Jason took a deep breath, "I told you I forgave you, right?" Bruce nodded, "what if – what if she doesn't forgive me?" Bruce was silent, almost feeling pity for him. "And I understand if you don't want me around and all -" Jason moved his weight back onto his feet when Bruce turned around.

"Cassandra is staying at her apartment." Bruce shot out a line, and Jason smirked.

"You haven't changed."


	4. Chapter 4

_Hello! Another chapter! Thanks for reading! And don't forget to tell me what you like or don't like in reviews or even PM me!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 4

Cass's fingers ran over a blood stain on the sidewalk; it was still wet and red, meaning it was recent. She took a breath, and smiled. It felt good being back in the uniform. With a quick flip, she was in a sewer pipe that was emptying into the water near the Sionis Steel Mill. "Batgirl." Bab's voice came from the com-link, so Cass waited. "Now that I'm reading that you're under Sionis, I'll give you a brief. There had been a number of reported Killer Croc sightings in this area." Cass saw a flashlight shine in her direction.

"Hey," Tim tilted the light down so she could see his masked face. He was worried about her, but he was glad she was there.

"I had already asked Robin to search the Steel Mill but -"

Tim cut Babs off, "I didn't find anything. I get it Oracle, you're not happy with the lack of results." Cass squinted into the darkness when she turned on her night vision, and Tim stashed away the flashlight doing the same.

Babs cleared her throat, "Anyways, you two are to engage and apprehend him. Are we clear?"

"Yes." Tim and Cass answered in unison.

"Good. Turn on your feeds and I'll try to keep in touch. But as you get lower underground, it's possible that we'll lose contact, so be careful."

"Come on, it's us you're talking about." Tim winked at Cass and she shook her head with her hands on her hips. He could see through the mask that she was smiling.

"Exactly." Babs replied with a laugh.

"Alright, Robin out." He started walking with Cass following closely behind him. The sewer water splashed against his legs as he treaded through. "I'm glad you're still able to smile." Cass cocked her head at him, but continued walking ahead. Tim remembered watching Jason pound his punches into the Joker's face and stopped with a sigh. "We were all worried about you, Cass. Especially - Jason."

Cass turned around and grabbed his collar. "You saw. You saw Jason?" Tim took a step back, surprised at her sudden movement and put his hands up.

"Yeah but -"

"Where?" She leaned in.

"Cass, calm down. He needs time to think." She let go, but the force she used was almost as a shove. "I know you're mad but – Hey!" He started running when she sprinted around the corner. "Cass!" When he followed, he saw the end of her cape slip passed around another corner. "C -"

A hand pressed against his mouth. Cass held a finger up to her lips telling him to be quiet and she pointed at a shadow scaling the bricks of the sewer in a lower area. Tim could hear a crocodile's hiss echo down the tunnel. He nodded with a shuriken in between his fingers, but Cass shook her head.

"Wait." She whispered barely loud enough to hear over the trickle of the water on the wall next to her. Tim carefully walked passed her, pressing his back against the wall to peek around the corner. Killer Croc was ripping through a dirty white muscle shirt as he walked around with something in his claw. Tim leaned his head out more to get a better look, but Cass pulled him back.

_What now?_ Cass could see him ask.

"I've brought what you asked for." Cass heard metal clank against wood after hearing Killer Croc's words followed by a low growl.

"Good, it can't be completed without it." Tim covered his mouth and held back a gasp. _Scarecrow._


	5. Chapter 5

_Okay… Action! ;)_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 5

Jason's hand stopped short from knocking on the glass. He stood on the fire escape to Cass's apartment with an uneasy feeling in his stomach. "You won't find her there." Jason turned around, finding Dick crouching on the rail next to him. "Barbara gave her back the Batgirl uniform." He squinted at him, but Dick just tapped on his ear.

"She shouldn't be out so soon."

"That's not your decision to make. Besides, Tim's with her." Dick crossed his arms, watching Jason tense.

"Cheap imitation."

"Whoa now, do I see some jealousy coming on?" Dick smiled, firing out a line.

"Shut up." Jason followed after him. "Where are we going?"

"Where else?" Dick released and started running on the rooftops, so Jason twisted himself in the air to land behind him. "Oracle, can you send me their location?" Dick looked at a screen attached to a compartment in his glove.

"I'm on it." He could hear her typing in the background noise. "Done." A pulse appeared on the screen with two yellow dots blinking side-by-side.

"They're underground?" Dick stopped running and looked back at Jason.

"They're after Killer Croc," she answered. "There's a sewer pipe near your location that you can use to meet up with them." Dick watched the screen zoom out and trail along the maze of the sewer system, giving him directions.

"Man, I love it when you do that." Dick smiled as if he was with Babs, but quickly shook it away, seeing Jason jumping down into the street. "We'll keep in contact."

...

Dick's face lit up in the darkness when he checked the screen. The two yellow dots were slowly getting closer towards them. "We'll be lucky if we run into him first."

Jason squinted at Dick even though he wasn't paying attention. "Huh?"

"Never mind." He shook his head while turning a corner.

"You know what I miss?" Jason ran his hand through his hair.

"What?"

"All the gadgets he has," he answered.

"Seriously," Dick laughed, "it's like he has something for everything. Well – he plans for everything. Even the Justice League."

Jason narrowed his eyes down at the tunnel ahead of them. A small black box was jammed into the wall. "What's that?" Dick stared at it as they walked towards it.

"I'm not sure. Let's see if I can analyze it." He pulled out a device and waved it over the box, but before he could scan it, it opened with a nozzle and gas started pouring from it. Jason and Dick coughed it out of their lungs, feeling their vision distort and the walls feel as if they were closing in on them. "Fear gas." Jason pressed his nose into his jacket, but it was too late, and he could feel the panic rising in his chest as he breathed the toxin.

Dick tried reaching into his boot for an antidote, but he lost his balance and slammed his shoulder into the wall after seeing a shadow with pointed ears rush at him. _It's just a hallucination, Dick._ He closed his eyes, trying to find Jason.

"Stop!" He was reared back into the wall, screaming at nothing. But what Jason saw was different. "Cass, stop! It's me!"

Her figure was like charcoal sketched into reality, but her smile was blending in with her mask as she scraped the water with a dragging crowbar behind her. "Why didn't you save me, Jason? Look what he did to me." Her head cocked unnaturally to the side as she limped towards him with blood sliding down her arms. "Look what _you_ did to me." Blood splashed onto his face, and he could hear his heart pound in his ears.

"Stop!"

"It's – it's not real!" Dick's Nightwing symbol flashed over Cass's distorted emblem. And her masked face retreated to the domino shaped mask on Dick. "It's not real!" Dick shook his head, fighting the gas. "The antidote – it – it isn't working." He squeezed his eyes shut.

"Dick! Help!" Barbara's voice screamed through the com-link.

"Barbara?!" Dick shouted pressing hard into his ear, and he let go of Jason who splashed into the water.

"Help!" Her scream hurt his ears, and his muscles were constricting. _This isn't real!_ "Help!" Dick felt a bolt of pain strike the back of his head, then watched the world around him turn to darkness.


	6. Chapter 6

_First of all, I'd like to thank a friend of mine who helped me out by giving me an idea, when I had none coming to mind…. Ha ha. Thank you very much! I love ya to death girl! _

_And I thank all of you for reading and sending me reviews! They help me a lot!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 6

_Dick's eyes wandered. His vision was foggy, but he was sitting in the stands under the old circus tent. "The Flying Graysons!" He held his breath watching the spotlight turn onto his parents. A younger version of him watched off to the side with his eyes wide._

_ "Mom! Dad! No!" Dick yelled watching them fall to the ground; he reared his head back closing his eyes, listening to the crack of their bones. "No." _

Sweat dripped off of his chin as he blinked his surroundings into focus. He could barely breathe because his chest was restricted with a metal cable. His hands struggled behind his back, feeling for a file that was strong enough to break it, but instead he fumbled with another pair of hands. "Jason?" His voice cracked as he asked, and felt something lean against his back.

"D – Nightwing? Wh – what happened?"

"We were under the influence of fear gas." Dick craned his head around to look at the tunnels in the sewer. It was dry where they sat, and he knew it hadn't been used as infrastructure for a while, but the hiss of a crocodile triggered his ears to listen behind him.

"Their scent is making me hungry."

"Ah, ah, ah little Croc; fear has to consume them first."

"We had a deal, Scarecrow!" Killer Croc's growl was more aggressive.

"That we did. But the plan has changed. I didn't expect _these_ two to be the ones who'd find us. But as long as I have the Batman's attention, it doesn't matter. We'll both get our chances, just keep luring the fish."

"You sound like Hatter." Killer Croc mumbled.

"I did have a session with Jervis, and my findings on his greatest fears were quite – _interesting_." Dick was sawing away at the cable but nothing was happening.

"What do you want me to do with them – the other two?" Dick stopped and turned his head towards Jason with his eyes wide.

"Find them."

"And when I do?"

"The nightmare will begin."

…

Tim sniffed the air as they followed behind Scarecrow and Killer Croc. "Cass, Methane; that's why he hasn't smelled us yet." He whispered trying not to breathe the rotten egg smell, and dug into his utility belt, then strapped on the re-breather. Cass shifted her mask around to secure hers underneath it.

Scarecrow's shadow stopped and his laugh was muffled. "Seems like we have two more patients." Cass pressed her back against the wall and held her breath, almost mirroring Tim. "Bring them alive." Tim started moving back, but Cass shook her head seeing Killer Croc turn down a different tunnel and she waved her fingers.

_We have hostages to worry about. _Tim held a blink then pointed at Scarecrow. They had to know where the rest of them were, and knowing Scarecrow, they were probably already induced in his fear gas. _How many are there, not including the two Croc is after?_ Cass tapped on Tim's shoulder, as she continued to follow. _If something happens to Scarecrow, the hostages could be at risk. _Cass darted around the corner and he focused his attention on her. _Babs told me I couldn't leave her alone, not that I'd really want to anyways – especially after what happened. _He shook his head remembering her eye being swollen shut and the bandages around her arms and her head.

"Stay close." Tim ran ahead of her.

Cass rolled her eyes behind her mask, then Tim abruptly stopped running. Looking down at a dried up cavern with nothing but darkness pouring into it. Cass watched the sea of people below screaming and aimlessly wandering in different directions. Some were even fighting each other viciously. Tim took a step back hiding himself as best as he could.

Scarecrow was already being lowered down into the cavern with a makeshift elevator. "People of Gotham," Cass could almost see the smile under his gasmask, "you're salvation has arrived."

Gas started flowing from all directions, drowning the people. Cass narrowed her eyes down at them. They were all smiling, then it shifted to sheer terror. "It's different – different than before."

"What do you mean?" Tim asked.

"They want it."

"What?"

"They want to have it." Cass struggled with her words. "Ad – ad -"

"Addiction," Tim finished.


	7. Chapter 7

_Alrighty, I think I'm back in business guys! This chapter came to mind a lot easier than the last one. Please be sure to give me suggestions or tell me what you liked or didn't like in reviews or even PM me!_

_Have fun!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 7

"Hey Nightwing." Jason was breathing was staggered, and his body was starting to ache. "Did fear gas always feel like this?"

Dick shook his head slowly, feeling the sweat crawl down his face. "No. I tried the antidote Batman usually uses, but – it's not working."

"Yeah but – shouldn't the effects – I don't know – wear off by now?" Jason's back was sticking to Dick's, and he could feel his muscles contracting and twitching.

"Withdrawals." Dick blinked trying to get his eyes to focus, he noticed the shadows of multiple people thrashing around and walking to their secluded side of the cavern. "We're – we're not the only ones."

"That's not what – I'm worried – about." Jason said breathlessly, a fountain of gas was pouring out of one of the familiar looking black boxes hooked into the floor in front of him. He clamped his teeth down trying to hold his breath, but something in the back of his head begged for him to take up as much of the gas as possible. He stared coughing, complying with the other conscious.

The ache in his body subsided feeling a surrounding warmth fill his muscles, and he could feel a smile split his lips. Dick was laughing behind him, then it shifted into a painful yell. "F – Fight it!"

Jason watched Cass's shadow flow out from the gas pump with a demonic smile on her face. "No! Stop!" Scarecrow's mask morphed into her's.

"Patients seem to be depending on the treatment." His laugh was imprinting into their minds. "Increasing the dosage."

Screams were coming from around them, but they all had the same voice in Dick's mind. "Save me, Dick!" _You're not real. You're not real._ He squeezed his eyes shut repeating to himself, pressing his lips together, but the voice grew louder. "I can't walk. Help me."

Jason flung his head back, smacking right into Dick's. Jason rolled his eyes, then squinted at the other people crowding them. They flashed as Cass then back as themselves. "Stay away!" He was thrashing his body side to side. Again they flashed as Cass, but instead of turning back, they became the Joker.

"We want to know how loud she'll scream your name before we kill her."

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut – up!" Jason yelled.

"But Jason -" The Jokers faded back into Cass with the stitched smile, "don't you love us?"

Scarecrow reared back smiling behind his mask, watching Nightwing and the Red Hood writhe. There was no doubt in his mind. Batman would come. Especially if Killer Croc could do something right for once, and capture the two he really wanted. Catching Nightwing was unexpected, and the Red Hood was a bonus, but the other two were the ones that mattered.

He walked away from their closed off area, and sat down in an oversized chair, watching all his patients succumb to fear. This had been the second time emitting the gas in the cavern tonight. He made sure that all of them would see him coming, and giving them what they asked for, but then Killer Croc came back with Nightwing and the Red Hood.

He rested his head on his hand watching blood splatter onto the ground. A patient was hallucinating that something was crawling out of his skin, so he clawed at it. Scarecrow smiled. Wayne Enterprises was going to distribute his _medicine_ throughout Gotham; he just had to get Batman's attention first.


	8. Chapter 8

_Lights, Camera…. Ok so I don't have those…. But I have ACTION!_

_;P Be sure to tell me what you like or don't like in reviews or in PM's!_

_Thanks for reading!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 8

At first, Cass thought the fear gas had gotten to her brain, but she remembered she was wearing a re-breather. She leaned forward, waiting to hear it again, and her name was yelled out frantically.

"Jason?" Tim pulled on her cape, stunning her.

"It's too dangerous to go down there." Tim watched her expression shift behind her mask, but he pulled harder, now gripping onto her shoulder. She was nearly throwing herself down the cavern already if it wasn't for his hands holding her back. "Don't. You don't know what Crane will do to them." Cass slammed the back of her head against the wall of the tunnel in frustration.

Tim squinted down through the gas being triggered again. They were tied up, by themselves, but then Scarecrow walked up examining a hysterical Jason. Dick was right behind him, kicking his feet trying to back away from something non-existent, but he was so tied up it wasn't doing anything for him. He looked off to the side at Cass who was cradling her head trying to decide between what her head thought and what her body felt like it needed to do.

"Oracle, this is Robin. Scarecrow's involved and he's got Dick and Jason."

"Say… losing….. repea…." Static filled the com-link and he sighed.

"We're on our own; I can't get through to Babs." Cass's eyes widened, as she stared down at her hands. Her fingers clasped together in fists then relaxed. "Hey, we'll just have to wait."

_Yeah right. Easier said than done._ Tim's knees were buckling and he started to pace. _Calm down, Tim. She can see what you're feeling._ He slid down the wall and sat with his elbows resting on his knees. _We're not close enough to analyze the gas, but seeing the hostages have withdrawal symptoms within thirty minutes means Crane is using an insanely high dosage. Think about this, Tim._ Cass's foot was bouncing in her impatience. _No Babs means no Bruce, so it's just me and Cass, but Killer Croc went back out right? Is he gathering more supplies for Scarecrow?_

Cass started searching through her utility belt and pulled out another re-breather. "What are you doing?"

"To help." She held out her hand in front of Tim's belt. "Mask. Now."

"I told you if you go down there, there's no telling what Crane will do to them." Cass pushed aside his cape and started digging into the side of his belt. "H – hey! Listen to me." She pulled out another re-breather and grabbed onto the makeshift elevator cord. "Cass, don't -"

She dropped down into the clouds in the cavern. Tim's eyes nervously bounced between Scarecrow sitting at the chair, and Cass scaling the walls, and weaving passed the screaming people. They even pointed at her, but Crane wasn't paying attention to his surprise.

Cass could barely see through the gas, but it wasn't long until she was behind Scarecrow and facing Dick. "No don't!" He screamed at her, but she put a finger to her lips strapping on one of the re-breathers. She could see the sweat beginning to reappear on the side of his face. Her hands trailed along Jason's shoulders and he turned his head to look at her. His mouth was open.

"I'm sorry! Just please! No more! Don't touch me!" Cass's hands retreated and she swallowed.

Jason watched the single Cassandra, reach for his shoulder, but her touch was like acid burning his skin. Her face phased into the Joker's. "What's the matter Bird Boy? Can't handle a joke?"

"Stop! Get away!" Jason retreated from Cass, and she touched his cheek.

"It's me." She quickly strapped on the re-breather to his face. Jason shook his head staring coldly passed her.

"I'll kill you."

Her legs felt weak and she stepped back, dropping to her knees. "Jason…"

"Don't you dare come near me! I swear – I swear to God I'll kill you!"

"It – it's the gas, Batgirl." Dick was gasping into the re-breather. "Don't - listen to him. What he sees – isn't you." Her shaking hands fumbled trying to get the cable off of Dick's body, but he twitched and jolted. "The gas -"

"Addiction." Cass unwrapped him blinking away Jason's words circling in her head.

"Th – that's right." Dick took a breath, pulling himself away from Jason, who was desperately trying to escape Cass, but not succeeding. Dick squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get the heaviness out of his lids. Cass managed to untie the cable from Jason, but his hands were still bound.

Jason had stopped screaming, but he still wasn't thinking clearly and Cass could see from his body language that he still thought she was a threat. She untied his hands hoping that she could get him to calm down, but he swung blindly at her.

"I hate you!" He yelled kicking at her stomach, but she barely blocked not expecting him to keep attacking. Her stomach felt heavy as if his kick did make its mark. Scarecrow's laughter bellowed behind her.

"Someone needs a prescription." Dick threw a weak punch at him, but Scarecrow easily dodged seeing the fatigue wear him down.

Cass ducked a high kick from Jason, and blocked a few hard punches. His rage was getting the better of him, and hysteria was clinging to the inside of his lungs. "Stop!" She tried to yell, but she was cut off by another punch swooping into her side. Cass backed off, glancing back at Dick, who was barely holding his own against Scarecrow's violent dancing. "Robin!" Jason kicked low with a sweep, and Cass jumped back focusing on him. She had to hold back. "Jason, it's me!"

He jumped onto her pinning her arms down, and pressing her into the ground. Cass could see in the corner of her eye, Tim flying down to their level, skidding his back against the floor, and Killer Croc standing in the opening of the tunnel.

The hostages were running around frantically now, not knowing where to go or having a place to hide. Everything scared them. Cass looked back at Jason reaching for her neck. "Stop." She pressed his hands against him in a joint lock and he groaned. But he countered by whipping around and slamming his elbow right into her cheekbone near her eye. She blinked away the darkness and floating Christmas lights, feeling his hands around her neck constricting her windpipe.

Jason ripped away the lower half of the mask, tearing at her neck and knocking of her respirator. She breathed in the gas, watching Jason's face fade to Cain's, then Bruce's. Her heart nearly jumped into her throat, and the only thing that was keeping it down was Jason's hands squeezing around her neck.

Her fingers dug into the tendons in his arms, and they released. When she stood, her feet felt heavy, and she could see Tim being held up by his ankle in Killer Croc's claw, breathing heavily into his mask. And Dick feeling a blow in his ribs, when Scarecrow ricocheted his fingers into them.

Jason's fist was speeding towards her face, she closed her eyes, waiting for the impact, hearing time beat in her ears.

She was against the wall, Jason was smiling with anger darkening his face. The taste of metal filled her mouth, but she was holding him back with every fiber in her muscles. She blinked seeing that the gas was starting to retreat.

Her knees kicked up from under him and their positions switched. Jason's face now back in place. She was breathing heavily, trying to get rid of the fear building up in her chest. "Listening now?" Her teeth curled over her bottom lip.

Jason's smile disappeared, and instead the expression of confusion was there. He shook his head looking back at the half-torn mask in front of him, feeling the aches return in his arms.

Scarecrow threw his knee into Dick's face, knocking him onto his side. Cass let go, flipping in front of him, but he sprayed a stream of gas into her face. "What don't you tell me about your fears?" Scarecrow's laugh morphed into a raspy echo as she coughed. Her head felt cloudy, and her breath shook.

Scarecrow disappeared through the darkness, and the room became empty. Cass was alone until she saw shadows of bodies appear from the ground. She looked down at her hands. They were bloodied. When she tried to rub the blood away, it spread down her arms cascading towards her emblem.

"You've disappointed me, Cassandra." Bruce snaked from a shadow, and started walking around her. "Look at all these people you've killed."

"N – no!" Cass looked around seeing one of the bodies move. It was the same man she had killed when she was eight years old. Then another body moved. It was Stephanie. Then Lady Shiva pulled herself from underneath her. Cass could only stare into their vacant eye sockets, trying to get back – trying to escape the sea of bodies that was forming around her.

Babs tugged at her cape from behind her. "I was a better Batgirl. You don't deserve to wear this! Murderer!"

Cass pulled herself back. "No!" Bruce pulled out a batarang and flung it at her. She barely dodged, feeling it splice her cheek. Tim flashed into a black cloud in his Robin's uniform behind Bruce.

"Why did you kill me, Cass? Aren't we -" Tim's body morphed into Dick's in his Nightwing gear, "family?" She stumbled back into the wall, panicking and breathing heavily.

"I didn't!" She shook her head pressing herself into the wall, but felt her heart stop when it gave, and she started falling into blackness. Jason was in free fall in front of her – staring her down.

"It's your fault. You did nothing. You are _useless_."

"Jason, I -"

"You should have died." She watched his smile stretched unnaturally as he put a hand in his holster, taking out a hand gun. The metal barrel pressed against her forehead, and she felt her eyes get hot behind her mask. She closed them feeling the tears overflow her lashes, waiting for the gunshot.


	9. Chapter 9

_Sorry for the wait! I had to take care of Navy stuff… bleh… But I should be done until I ship to boot camp! Thanks for reading!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 9

"Batman," Bruce grunted while tying up two unconscious thugs, then reached down to dismember their guns. Babs was patiently waiting.

"What?"

"I lost contact with Robin, and Nightwing." He could hear the disappointment in her voice.

"You're having a rough night." Bruce said with a monotone.

"Batgirl's with them," she added.

"I thought so." Bruce shot out a line and pulled himself onto a rooftop to look down at the streets.

"Well I – wait what?" Babs was starting to explain herself but stopped herself short.

"The suit was missing." Bruce cleared his throat waiting for her response.

"Then you understand -? How _she_ feels – I mean." He could hear the effort in her breath she put to wheel away from her computer.

"I knew that _you _did." Bruce shifted his weight on the ledge of the roof, seeing the empty streets below him. "Where are they?"

"The sewers. Last time I checked, they were walking through the Underground Highway."

"After Killer Croc."

"Right."

"What's the problem?"

"Their signal disconnected before I could find out." Bruce noted the heaviness in her words. "What if Jok -"

"He's still in Arkham. I _know _he is still there. Now, give me their last exact location."

"… Alright." The sound of her fingers dancing on the keyboard in the background was all that broke the silence as he waited. "You should be receiving it." Bruce checked the GPS in his utility belt.

"It's done." Bruce fired out a line again, swinging his body as far as he could sling-shot himself in the air to get across Gotham faster.

Babs was quiet for a while, until she took a breath, "good luck."

…

Cass felt the cool metal against her forehead contrast the heat radiating from her eyes. She didn't understand it but her chest felt empty and heavy at the same time. The resemblance of Cain's and Jason's disappointment in her by the look on their faces, made her back straighten – and she felt the soft Earth fall down her spine.

Her eyes snapped open behind the mask, feeling her heartbeat slow down like time itself were in the creases in between her fingers. She closed her hands tightly until they shook and the blood in her knuckles disappeared.

"I don't care." She blocked the gun with her forearm and shot her fist out into Jason's jawline. His face became cracks like spider webs, and his fractured image fell behind him. Cass took a deep breath. "Fake. Everything is fake."

When she blinked back her surroundings, Cass realized that the cavern was full of unconscious people – but they were breathing and groaning. Dick was trying to catch his breath within the mask, pressing his arm into his body as if to protect it. Tim was lying on his stomach, pushing onto his hands and knees weakly. "They're – they're gone. Scarecrow said – something was – incomplete." Dick closed his eyes and leaned his head back into the wall.

She looked for Jason. He was cradling his head in his hands as he sat against a dead end tunnel wall, messing up his hair. Her hand outstretched to touch his knee when she was close enough, but she held back. She cleared her throat and it started to ache. "Jason? I'm here now." He looked up with his eyes wide behind his red domino mask. His hand was shaking when his fingers lifted out towards her face as if she was just a ghost. She jolted back slightly, remembering their grip around her neck, which in turn, made him retreat back. Cass swallowed and grabbed his hand softly with both of hers. "This is me." She pulled on her cowl, and put his fingertips on her temple, watching the relief fill his face.

"Cass." He smiled faintly, but it quickly disappeared. "Cass, what I did – I knew what I was doing but I just -" She shook her head with her brow furrowed together. He stared at the cut on her lip. "I did that – I know I did." His thumb ran over her swollen jaw that had a bruise the size of his fist already forming on her skin. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"You were afraid." Cass pulled on her cowl and straightened her knees to stand. "So was I." She looked out of the tunnel, seeing Tim shoulder Dick's weight, even though Tim was almost as badly beaten. When he turned she could see the tears from Killer Croc's claws in his cape.

"Cass, it wasn't just the fear gas -" Jason stood up and grabbed her wrist softly.

"Forgive – me?" She turned to look at him, knowing that what happened with the Joker was on his mind.

"For what? I was the one who should have listened. You wanted to leave, but I was stupid and – it's my fault." His grip tightened in his frustration, but it didn't hurt her.

"Accept – acceptance." She put her index finger on the middle of his chest. "Do – do you still love me?"

He blinked, "Yeah, but -"

She smiled with her arms wrapped around his neck. "That is what matters now."

Jason could see Dick pull a thumbs-up behind Cass, then grimace because it was his injured hand. Tim shook his head with a smirk.

"What happened here?" Everyone froze, and turned around seeing Bruce stand at the entrance of where Tim and Cass had come from. Cass immediately broke herself away from Jason, and Tim and Dick bowed their heads with their eyes darting away. Bruce glided down, looking at all the hostages with his frown deepening in his face, but everyone could only assume that because he was wearing a re-breather. "Nightwing?" Dick raised his head.

"Croc is working for Scarecrow, but they're – gone." Bruce almost asked another question, but Dick knew what he was going to ask, "I – blacked out." He said in a low tone.

Cass picked up her re-breather. "You disobeyed my direct order, Batgirl." Bruce was right in front of her, as she stared at the ends of her boots – doing what she does best – keeping silent. Jason stepped up next to her.

"Look, I don't like it either, but you can't just take it away from her; she's -"

"Stay out of this," Bruce snapped.

"You know just as well as I do that she's just as stubborn as you." Jason felt a warmth cover his hand, and he looked back at Cass who was smiling slightly.

"Take this tracker." Bruce unplugged it from his GPS and Cass took it carefully – plugging it into hers. Then he held his hand out to Jason. He took it cautiously as Bruce turned to look at Tim and Dick. "The Batmobile is waiting on the surface. You will take it to the cave."

"But -" Tim stepped up but Bruce cut in.

"Now." Tim took a step back while looking at Dick leaning on him, and nodded slowly. Bruce turned back towards Cass and Jason. "You two are coming with me."


	10. Chapter 10

_Thank you very much for the reviews and the continuous reading! And I have to thank my little brother for giving me an idea! I love ya baby bro! XD_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 10

Jason was watching Bruce's back silently, but every once in a while he'd glance back at Cass. He was shaking and sweating; his body craved the drug.

Cass could see in his strides that it was hard for him to keep walking, but he firmly planted his feet in the concrete, meaning he was trying hard to not let her worry. But that didn't really mean she didn't. She could feel the shakiness in her own body, and her breathing was more excessive than usual.

Bruce's device in his hand carried numbers of the concentration level of fear gas in the area. Jason watched as they constantly bounced in different directions. Bruce held a finger to his ear; "Robin how's the antidote?"

Cass could hear Tim's static filled reply in an open line; "It's fine. The only problem I'm having is separating the molecular structure of the fear gas from – the addiction agent. But I should be done in no time."

"And Nightwing?"

"He – he doesn't look so good." The sound of a metal pan ringing from hitting the ground was in the background. "Got to go. Robin out," but the static kept going, "Dick! Calm down!"

"I need it!" Dick's voice screamed as if it was slightly muffled. "Give me it! Give me the gas! I need it!" Cass closed her eyes then blinked at Bruce when he stopped. She wondered how long she – or even Jason had until they were just as desperate. Bruce pressed a few buttons to shut it off.

"Keep moving." Cass and Jason both wanted to turn around, but then again, they both wanted to give Killer Croc and Scarecrow living hell. Jason had sweat crawl down the side of his face, so he used his sleeve to clean it off. He bit his lip as Cass put her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm – alright." He took a breath and smiled, and he could almost feel the aches in her hand as it trembled. "You?" She nodded and pretended to tighten her re-breather on her face, but he saw the rapid clouds of fog every time she exhaled.

Bruce watched the numbers on his device have a sudden increase as he stepped into a tunnel. He stopped as he squinted down. "How often did Scarecrow give you the dosages?"

"Every – thirty minutes. But Cass -"

"I'm okay." Cass nodded, trying to pick up her pace. But her vision was already getting unclear and blurry. She could hear Jason at the point of wheezing next to her. Sweat glued her hair to the side of her face.

"The gas -" Jason leaned up against the tunnel. "I -" He clamped his teeth together and squeezed his eyes shut. _I want it._ Cass looked up at him and grabbed his hand.

"No. You don't – need it." She grew thirsty and shook her head. "Don't need it." Bruce turned watching them. "Don't need it. Keep going." She was convincing herself now.

"I'm calling the Batmobile." Bruce started pressing buttons on his GPS.

"No!" Cass shouted holding her head. "No! I – I will not be – useless! Not again!" Bruce's fingers stopped as he studied her half-masked face. Jason looked off to the side then closed his eyes, feeling his stomach churn.

"Cass…" Jason took a deep breath transferring his eyes onto Bruce. "Let's get moving."

"If you two are hur -" He cleared his throat, "will you be a liability?" Bruce rubbed his thumb on the screen of his GPS.

"No." Cass and Jason both answered in unison. Bruce's head bobbed down, then he looked back at the screen.

"Then let's keep moving. We don't have much time."

…

"Alfred! Give him the injection now!" Tim could feel his hands shaking as he pressed Dicks arms down as best as he could to strap them in.

"Give me it!" Dick was kicking his legs. Tim could see the sweat dripping off of Alfred's chin.

"This is it, Dick! This is it!" Tim gripped into Dick's legs, pressing his body weight into them. Alfred jabbed the needle into his neck. Tim watched the liquid empty and Dick smile as his eyes filled with happiness then complete disappointment and rage – but before he could scream any more, his entire body became numb.

Tim and Alfred took a breath, and looked at each other. "Had you been affected by the gas, Master Drake, I don't think that I could keep you both restrained." Alfred wiped his head with a white rag.

Tim smirked at him, "Was – was that a joke, Alfred?" He chuckled and rubbed the back of his hand on his forehead. Alfred didn't answer and straightened his suit.

"Shall I start preparing dinner, Master Drake?" Alfred started walking away. Tim was already at the computer typing and looking at the molecular structure rotate on the screen. "I will assume your silence is a yes, sir?"

Tim blinked realizing Alfred was talking to him, but still not really paying attention. "Huh? Yeah, sure." He pulled up a file on Jonathan Crane, as Alfred's footsteps disappeared. _The addictive agent had to be something strong, but it can't change the chemical structure of Crane's fear gas. _Tim glanced back at Dick, who was quietly breathing. _Crane sprayed Cass while I was fighting Croc… And Jason – he should be just as bad as Dick right now._ He shook his head and felt an ache in his neck. Tim typed into the computer to analyze each aspect of the structure of the fear gas along with its formula and started deconstructing it, while trying to construct an antidote.

The computer started scanning through different pictures of other compounds automatically, so Tim leaned back and took off his mask, rubbing the bridge of his nose. _Why didn't you listen to me, Cass?_ The flash of Jason's hands around her throat made him blow air through his teeth. _All he does is hurt you. _His hands curled over the arms of the chair, remembering her battered face after hearing Babs tell him that she had been hurt.

_He ran to her room, but stopped when he realized the door was cracked. He could see Jason sitting next to her bed. "I'm so sorry." Jason muttered while rubbing his thumb over her hand. Jason was staring down at her. "I was stupid. I should have listened."_

_Tim could feel the anger burning his throat, and he pushed open the door. "What did you do to her?" His hand reached out and grabbed his collar, as Jason's face twisted. Tim could see the bandages underneath his shirt. Jason's eyes couldn't meet Tim's, so he got angrier and pushed him against the wall. He could see Cass with an oxygen mask on her face, in the corner of his eye. _

_"The Joker – it was just like before." Jason glanced at Cass, feeling his weight being applied to his broken foot. He grit his teeth, feeling the sting of the burn on his arm. "I should have listened to her. She knew it was him, but – I was angry."_

_"You bastard." Tim understood now and pressed his elbow into his shoulder, which caused Jason to grimace. "You're always angry. That's why you shouldn't be around her." _

Tim took a deep breath. _I shouldn't have said those things to Jason… But she forgives him now. _He looked back up at the screen, seeing the pictures flow by, then got up to go check on Dick.

He was still sweating and he had minor tremors in his body. _I couldn't help Cass – and I couldn't help you._ He pressed his finger into the com-link. "Babs, can you think of any reason why Scarecrow would want Killer Croc to work for him?"

"To have access underground without being eaten?" She answered.

"Waterways. And endless hiding places, right? Crane could pollute the water if he wanted to, but instead he just placed random black boxes that contained fear gas. Why do you think that is?"

"He has something else planned. Something that will give him the right theatrics."

"Exactly. Cass and I found Croc and Crane in a cavern."

"Hold on." Babs was typing in the background. "But that tunnel leads to -"

"What? What's the matter?" Tim asked when she wouldn't finish.

"Wayne Enterprises. Why?"

"Why not? If it goes under, Gotham would be in panic – and that would give him enough time to distribute the new fear gas from -"

"Underground." Babs finished. "But that's only if the manholes in the streets are open enough to let a massive amount of the gas to escape."

"And that's why he needs Croc to steal the supplies."

"I'm tracking all the major stolen items in Gotham." Bab's fingers were rapidly typing as Tim watched his screen change from the molecular structure to a list of items scrolling. "He's going to pressurize the sewer system."

"No way. It's not a closed container. Besides, it would take too long to build the pressure."

"Not if he's building it in different sections."

"You think he'll close off the tunnels individually?" Tim ran his hand through his hair, then leaned forward to press onto the button to contact Bruce. "Batman, Oracle and I have reason to believe that there are bombs planted along the tunnels along with the fear gas dispensers." Tim let go, waiting for a response, but instead he found static. "Batgirl this is Robin, come in." Again, there was nothing.

"Tim it's no use. They're too deep underground."

"But what if Crane is planning to take them out in the explosion? You work on the antidote. I'll be back." Tim pressed on his mask as he stood up.

"You can't. What if you're right and you get caught in the explosion?"

"I don't have time to think about that. Someone has to warn them."


	11. Chapter 11

_Again… that took a while… SO SORRY! But writer's block sucks doesn't it? Ha ha. Thank you again Tama! You are brilliant! And it was awesome being able to visit!_

_Thanks everyone for the constant reading and reviews, they have helped me more than you guys could possibly imagine!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 11

Tim was running down the tunnel until his legs felt like they were barely touching the ground. _If I'm right, they could be –_ He squeezed his eyes shut remembering Stephanie's smile before he found out she was killed. _Not again… It won't happen again, Tim._

The echo of an explosion made them snap open. "No, no, no, no." It was close; he knew that much, so he ran until he was breathing desperately. He stopped as soon as he saw the barrier of rubble. "Oracle, he's already started." Tim shook his head and tried to catch his breath.

Static filled his ear with Bab's voice almost muffled, "You don't think -"

"No. There's no way. And even if it was – I – I should make sure Crane doesn't follow through with his plan." He tried to shake away the emptiness in his chest as he looked off to the side of him, at a ladder leading up to the surface. "I'm travelling from above so I can keep in contact with you."

"Alright," there was an uneasiness in her response.

"Just focus on the antidote, and I'll take care of Crane." Tim was convincing himself while speaking into the com-link, and he gripped onto the ladder tightly. "I swear I will."

…

Cass blinked the heaviness in her eyes, feeling the spasms in her muscles as she walked. She was ahead of both Jason and Bruce now as she tried to keep herself in motion. In her hand was the GPS with blinking numbers as it tested the air. Bruce still had his out, but he was busy watching Jason and Cassandra from behind, analyzing their steps and the tunnel around them.

A red dot flashed and caught his attention, but there wasn't any time to react but propel himself forward, pushing Jason away since he was within arm's reach. "Move!"

Cass whipped around trying to rush back for them, but the damage was already done. A wall of debris separated her from both of them, and a scream was caught in her throat as she fell to her knees. "J – Jason… Br -"

Coughing from the other side made Cass crawl forward to listen again. "Jason?!"

"It's alright!" Jason shouted from the other side, but he was busy looking back for Bruce. The clouds of dust settled as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Bruce's left leg, up to the middle of his thigh, was trapped underneath a slab of concrete as he coughed. His masked was knocked away, and he was gritting his teeth, sucking air through them to block the pain. "Hang on, I'll get you out." Jason tilted his head back, "We're trapped and he's stuck! Go on without us!"

"But -" He could hear her worry.

"Just go! We'll be fine!"

Bruce dug his fingertips into Jason's arms when he bent down to grab hold of him. "Crane -" but he was interrupted by a grunt, feeling the strain on his muscles underneath the slab. Bruce let go, slamming his fist into the floor and nearly cracking his teeth together.

Jason pressed his shoulder against the slab to pull it up, and spread his feet apart for a steady stance, jamming himself into the ground. His other hand grabbed a fist full of Bruce's cape. Bruce felt the pressure release from his leg as his body was skidded across the floor. He heard a groan come from the base of his throat.

"Your leg's broken." A drop of sweat fell from Jason's chin when he relaxed the slab back down and adjusted Bruce against the wall. Bruce leaned his head back and took a breath, holding his eyes closed; as Jason started to take off his jacket and bent down to press it against his bloodied leg carefully. "I don't suppose you have something in that belt of yours to get us out of here, do you?"

"Explosive Batarang, but I won't use it. We don't know what's above us and it could cause a chain reaction if Crane had something else planted." Bruce looked down, and tried to dig into his belt for gauze. When he found what he wanted he pushed Jason away, and started to wrap it around his own leg, but slammed his head back into the concrete wall when pain shot through it.

Jason took the gauze from his hands shakily and started doing it for him, "here." When he was finished he sat across from Bruce with his head in his hands, impatiently tapping his foot.

"You've changed." Bruce said in the echoed silence. Jason looked up then back down at his boots.

"Yeah? Well, you haven't." He said almost breathlessly with a chuckle. For a minute he almost forgot about the addiction to the drug, but a tremor crawled up his spine and shook his entire body.

"Cassandra was willing to give up the cowl for you." Bruce studied Jason's face, which was shocked.

"But it's her life, why would -" He stopped himself short and took off his mask to rub the lines away from his cheeks, and noticed Bruce's re-breather cracked and on the ground near a black box. He pressed the mask against his face and quickly retrieved Bruce's, then nearly smashed it into his pointed nose.

"What is it?" Jason was already looking at the black box and cautiously stepping towards it.

"Fear gas dispenser." The back of his neck felt numb, and Jason wet his lips. The craving was much stronger now, and he could feel the ache in his entire body. _Don't think about it. You don't want it. You don't want it. You DON'T WANT IT!_

Jason turned around away from the box and pressed his forehead against the wall with his eyes tightly shut. Bruce studied him, watching the tremors pass through his body. Jason turned back to look at the box with hungry eyes. "Don't set it off. We don't know if it'll affect Cassandra."

"I – I know."

"Then fight it."

"I – am!" He bit his lip, but let go to slam his forehead against wall again. Jason felt his hands against his holsters, remembering that he didn't have his guns anymore. A sudden burst of anger flushed through his blood. "You don't know what it's like! You never do! Why don't you just do it?! Why don't you kill them when you have the chance?!" Jason pointed a sharp finger at Bruce. "Don't you get it? They just get out and keep doing what they do! They don't have any concern for life!"

Bruce watched him silently for a minute then took a breath, "You already know the answer, Jason. Cassandra was Joker's target for a reason."

"Shut the hell up!" Jason didn't understand why he was so angry, but it just kept boiling and the longer he looked at him, the more he wanted to pound his fist into his face. "Just shut up! We wouldn't have to be here if you had just taken care of Scarecrow or Joker even! Cass could be down there right now, facing him!" Jason could feel his gloves tight against his knuckles. "Damn it! It's your fault they exist!" His fist bit into the wall when he punched it. "Why didn't I just stay dead...?"

Bruce stared directly at the wall in front of him instead of looking at Jason. "I know – and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let you die."

He blinked at Bruce, feeling his chest relax as he took a breath. "I – I'm sorry. I didn't mean it - really. I forgave you. It – it doesn't matter. I don't know why I just got so – angry. And what happened – was my fault." He ran his hand through his hair.

"I understand." Bruce turned his attention towards him. Jason could almost see the expressionless movements in his mouth behind the mask.

Jason muttered as he watched Bruce tilt his head as if he was going to ask a question. "Cass told me that she was happy I was here. If she heard me talking -" he forced a laugh to get the frustration out of his lungs, "well, you know… Sometimes she's so stubborn I don't know what to do with her. I mean, I hardly use my guns anymore." The corner of Bruce's mouth tugged into a smirk, knowing Cassandra's personality. Jason shifted his weight, occasionally glancing back at the black box.

"Prove it to me." Bruce said finally in the awkward silence.

"Prove what?" Jason snapped his eyes at him.

"Cassandra told me that you wanted to come back to the family. Prove to me that you can handle it."

"Come on, Bruce. We all know your rule. I've broken it; dozens of times without a second thought."

"You're thinking about it now."

"Yeah but - What if I lose it? What if I just get out of control? Cass would never forgive me and – neither would you." Before Bruce could reply, static filled his ear.

"Bat… explosi… out…." Oracle's words were broken.

"Oracle, can you hear me? We're trapped in a tunnel and Batgirl has gone ahead. Do you copy?" Bruce squinted pressing the com deeper into his ear.

"No….. Batgirl… Rob…. pressure…."

"What's the matter?" Jason asked, but Bruce put his hand up to tell him to be quiet.

"Oracle, we are trapped and Batgirl had gone ahead." Again, static filled the com for a long while.

"Fear gas… angry tend…. no antidote…."


	12. Chapter 12

_Shout out to Red X17! Thank you! XD_

_Thanks for reading and don't forget to review or PM me! _

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters. _

Chapter 12

Cass's ears tricked her. After Jason had told her to go ahead, she kept thinking that she was hearing their yells. A voice in the back of her mind told her to go back, but she knew she had to keep walking. She bit the inside of her cheek and tried to control her breathing while she wondered how everyone else was dealing with their withdrawal symptoms.

Jason was on her mind. Why hadn't he told her he was scared? Anger built up in her chest and she shook her head, trying to get her vision clear. She knew he thought what Joker did was his fault, and for that, she was angry. _He's stupid. He doesn't understand._ Cass rolled her neck, and braced herself against the wall, feeling light headed. _Bruce doesn't understand either._

Her knees became weak and they buckled, so she slammed her shoulder into the wall. _Tim tries to understand – but he doesn't know. Never killed – never felt guilty. _She blinked remembering the disappointment in his body language when he found out she was with Jason. _Why did it matter to him? My choice anyways._ She tightened her fist and pressed herself off the wall to continue staggering forward.

Her boots were grinding into the concrete with each step. She licked her lips, feeling the aches in her bones. _Don't need it. _She rubbed her arms to get rid of the twitching in her muscles, then quickly adjusted her re-breather on her face. Her foot slipped into water, and she looked down realizing she was in the main parts of the sewers again instead of the empty abandoned tunnel.

Claws bursted from the surface, so she rolled away, squinting at Croc who had water cascading down his body. "You smell – _good_." His pointed teeth showed as he hissed and wet his lips. Croc dug his claws through the brick as he propelled himself towards her, with his mouth wide open.

Cass pushed off of the ground, swinging her foot like an axe to close his jaws with her heel. Before she could make contact, he sliced his hand in the air, slamming her body into the wall. She felt an ache travel along her spine, and blinked up at Croc, who was hovering over her with a claw raised. Cass tucked in her chin and rolled backwards.

The sound of fabric ripping covered her gasp as she felt a shooting pain in her side. Three streaks were trailing blood in her ribcage. She pressed her arm down to calm the burning sensation filling her skin around the area, and jumped back.

Croc put his tongue around his claws, lapping at the blood. "I was right." Cass grit her teeth and studied his stance. He stared into her mask feeling a growl in the pit of his stomach.

"Monster," she spat with disgust, feeling the anger recoil in her breathing. Croc hissed, so Cass looked at his teeth and blinked. _No mask?_ She planted her feet and sprung at him, gripping onto his dirty muscle shirt and punching him with an extended knuckle dangerously close to his eye. Her patience was already wearing thin. "Antidote – where?!" He staggered back, and smiled. Cass could see the freshwater behind him. "Where?!"

Croc hooked his heels over the edge and fell backwards, with Cass still hanging onto him. He wrapped his claws around her cape under the water, and knocked her mask away. Water filled Cass's mouth, but there was enough time for her to gasp with her head above the surface, before she was tugged under. She kicked her legs out, trying to push off of Croc's chest, but her cape whipped her down. Her punch torpedoed through the water at his face, but he dodged with his mouth open, and clamped his teeth on her forearm.

The air she was holding escaped when she grimaced, and she watched the water turn red around her. She plunged her thumb into Croc's eye and he let go. Again, she kicked her legs into his chest to push to the surface. Cass took a quick gasp gipping onto the walkway, and she tried to pull herself up back onto the concrete. Her eyes caught a glimpse of her forearm with teeth punctures pouring blood and curdling with the water rolling off her uniform.

Cass could feel another stinging pain down her back. Her cape was torn away as she pushed herself up and slapped her back against the wall. She glanced at her shoulder; it had been just as scratched as her ribs. Croc was already standing in front of her, angry and hissing. Cass was breathing heavily and blood draining from her body made her weak.

Croc snarled and charged towards her, "Stop!" he skidded and turned around with a growl. Cass's vision was distorted and foggy as the gas surrounded her and Scarecrow's mask came into view. A smile parted her lips and the pain turned to numbness. "She's my new patient."

…

"I don't have time for this." Tim sighed and pressed himself against the wall of and alleyway.

"Thugs?" Babs questioned while studying the feed and zoomed in on the faces of at least fifteen men.

"No, worse." Tim pressed on his ear, and leaned back. "They're civilians intoxicated by the gas."

"And we can't create an antidote unless we find Scarecrow." Babs sighed with frustration behind it. Tim clamped his teeth shut and took a deep breath.

"I will." His fingers dug into his utility belt, and he rolled a gas pellet in his hand. He flicked his wrist and tossed the pellet in the center of the groaning people. Black gas surrounded them, as they crashed to the ground, unconscious.

"I've contacted Dad; ambulances will be there in few minutes. Go down that manhole and stop Scarecrow and Croc." She paused, "Keep the feed on for as long as possible – I've got to go; Canary is on the other line."

Tim ran passed the bodies and slid on his side into the open manhole, dropping down onto his feet. Another open cavern was just ahead of him. He blinked in the darkness. "He really is trying to blow up Wayne Enterprises." He looked farther into the cavern, at the screens, but ducked back in when he saw a shadow.

A black cape was in his scaly hand, and Tim's eyes widened. "Cass…" She was kicking her legs and trying to yell, but she was gagged and tied up with metal. Her body was across Killer Croc's shoulder like she was a rag doll. _She is not going to be happy about that…_ Tim shook his head, and stared deeper.

Scarecrow stopped and took out a syringe. Tim felt his body jolt, but the needle was already in Cass's neck. _Dammit…_ A smile formed on her face, behind the gag, then it shifted as her body shook. He saw a glimpse of her side and her back, it was badly scratched; just like his own cape was. His fingers curled around the end of the tunnel. _Going down there now won't do anything for her…_Tim squinted down at one of the computer screens. A heart monitor was connected to Crane. _If I take him out, the entire city will be in trouble – but if I don't act fast…_ His thoughts trailed off when Crane snapped out a finger.

"Finish planting the bombs. I'll observe her rehabilitation." Croc nodded reluctantly and dropped Cass in a metal folding chair. Her head was cocked off to the side as if she was blankly staring passed everything she saw. _Her mind is gone._ Tim took a breath again, and dug into his utility belt. He pulled out a hacking device and flicked it onto Crane's computer, then took a few steps back to pull out his GPS, modifying the settings to control the device. _Crane has to have an antidote, otherwise Croc would be wearing a mask._

"Stephanie! No!" Tim's head darted towards Cass, and his heart jumped down into his stomach. Scarecrow had removed the gag, so Cass was yelling and trying to move away. Tim closed his eyes, trying to block out the sound. _Steph is dead, Tim. Cass is hallucinating. Just get back to work…_ "Stephanie! Please! No!" Cass screamed. He bit his lip and took a few more steps back, and slid against the wall into a crouch. _Disarm the bombs and the gas dispensers. Find the antidote. Save Cass, and Dick. Just do it…_ He leaned his head back, then looked back down at the screen in his hand. _Just focus, Tim._

"That's right. What is it you fear? Tell me." Crane leaned forward with another filled syringe in his hand. Tim turned his head away, trying not to look as he plunged it into her neck again. The corner of Cass's mouth turned upwards in a smile. Then it quickly faded into shock and terror.

"No! N – Not you!" She shook her head furiously and tilted it down still yelling. "Never kill – not ever again! Not for you!" Tim ran his hand through his hair, and braced his forehead against his palm. He imagined her seeing Cain. "Not you!" Her voice hitched and the hair on the back of Tim's neck stood on end.

The screen in his hand flashed, and the markings of the explosives along the tunnels appeared in a makeshift blueprint. Tim stood up and started walking away from the cavern slowly. "I'm – I'm sorry, Cass… but I have to do this first."


	13. Chapter 13

_Ok my faithful readers! I appreciate all of you! But right now I really need your input and suggestions! __**I'm stuck**__! So if you have any ideas it's your time to decide what'll happen next! PM or Review!_

_Thank you very much!_

Chapter 13

Cass's body was on fire. Scarecrow had given her three doses already after Croc had set her down. Her skin burned and ached, and with every breath it felt as if she was being shot through the chest. Cass had taken bullets before, but this was different. She swallowed feeling the fear toxin subside.

"Don't you want salvation?" Scarecrow leaned forward, holding up a syringe in his hand. Cass's vision was so distorted that it seemed neon orange in her eyes. "Ask for it."

"N -" Cass swallowed again, eyeballing the syringe. Her body wanted it. Badly. "N – Yes." She bit her lip, almost biting through it and closed her eyes. A prick in her neck, then a warmth filled under her skin. Her teeth let go and she smiled as the aches disappeared.

"There… See?" Scarecrow's mask fitted an elongated smile to match hers. "The existence of life is revolved around fear; this is no different." Cass watched a shadow swarm over Scarecrow's face, morphing into Cain's.

She could see the disappointment in his body language. "Darlin' you weren't ready, that's all. There's still time to change that." Cain touched her chin, and it felt as if her skin was corroding away. Cass fought the scream in her throat, but it escaped passed her gritted teeth. "What's the matter? I've only wanted…" Batman's cowl fitted over his face with empty eye holes, "what's best for you."

Cass shook her head, "No, please not again. No. Not real." Her heart was beating in her ears, pounding until she thought she was going to be deaf.

"You're stupid. Ignorant. How could you think that you would ever be a better Batgirl then Barbara? You've killed. It's no wonder why I took the cowl from you."

"No… no." A needled entered her neck, and her mouth twitched back into the slight smile, as she looked back up at Bruce. Red metal encased his head and a silver handgun wrapped around his hand.

"I was just using you."

"You're not real!" She screamed, "Go away!"

"No I may not be. But the real me is out there, and my thoughts are real. You don't matter, Cassandra. No one cares about you. Not even me. I used you – I'm still using you." Jason outstretched his fingers and pressed them into the claw marks in her side. She whimpered, clamping her lips together. "Does that hurt?" She stared into his metal helmet, trying to get her hands loose.

"No." She blew air out of her mouth angrily.

"No?" Jason tilted his head back up, and the hood disappeared showing just his red domino mask. "Well I can fix that." His image shifted into Stephanie holding another neon syringe. "How long do you think you'll last, Cass?" She pulled a strand of her blonde hair from her mouth and smiled taking back her cowl. "I think I looked better in the costume anyways."

"Then take it." Cass's heart felt heavy as she thought about what she was going to say. "You're dead." She leaned back, as Stephanie frowned. She flipped the syringe around in her fingers then stabbed it through Cass's neck.

…

_Just like I thought, it's right under Wayne Enterprises. _Tim squinted at the massive tank looking device with cords strung from it. _If Crane can't control the main device from his remote, the other ones will be useless._ His fingers switched the screen back to checking on the antidote downloading into his GPS. _Dammit… Why is it taking so long?_ _All the best tech in the world, and I still can't download the antidote to Crane's fear gas._ The virtual structure of the fear gas shifted around and rotated. _So that's why… The combination of the fear gas and the addiction agent changes once it enters the bloodstream, so the antidote has to accommodate and counteract those changes. _

Tim took a quick look around, and stepped out to where Scarecrow's main device was and pulled out a wire cutter from his utility belt.

…

"Angry tendencies… no antidote." Bruce shut off the com-link repeating Oracle and looked up at Jason.

"Wh – what? Can't be. If there isn't an – antidote, how -"

"Barbara probably needs Crane's formula - before she can create it." Bruce painfully shifted his leg and took a deep breath.

"So we're just going to sit here and wait? That's all?!" Jason felt a wave of shakes pass through his body.

"That's all we can do. We don't want to trigger any more explosives or any of the fear gas dispensers as long as Crane and Killer Croc are still out there."

"And we're just going to make Cass do it all?"

"We don't have any other choice. And I'm sure Tim is already moving." Bruce saw Jason snap his head at the fear gas dispenser on the opposite side of the tunnel. "Stop thinking about it."

"Shut up." Jason turned his head away again.

"You could lose yourself any minute, am I right?" Bruce's voice was as serious as it always was.

"I can handle it. The woman who raised me was a druggie, remember?" Jason sat down next to Bruce, and watched his shoulder lower. "And then there's you," Jason took a breath, "you taught me – everything, so I can handle it." He smirked, and Bruce nodded.

Through the silence Jason watched him, then tilted his head back against the wall. He grew tired, as if he had been running for hours on end. "Sleep while you can." Bruce said quietly as he pulled out a syringe. Jason glanced at it, but before he could ask what it was Bruce was ready to answer, "It's an anesthetic." He plunged it into Jason's thigh, and since it was unexpected he let go of a low yelp.

"What the hell, Bruce?" Jason immediately felt the aches in his body subside then completely disappear within minutes. "You – you need that more than I do."

"Sleep while you can." Bruce said again, reaching over and dusting off his GPS with a cracked screen. He pressed a few buttons, and the screen lit up with a bar stretched across the bottom of it that was a third of the way filled. "A file is being downloaded." Bruce didn't even realize he said it out loud. The display switched to a molecular structure, then some notes automatically scrolling.

"What?" Jason jolted forward, and almost fell over from the numbness in his body, looking down at the device in Bruce's hand. "He used Croc's DNA in the formula?"

"Considering the fact that Killer Croc has natural adaptive abilities, it doesn't seem far-fetched." His voice was even as he spoke – still reading the notes.

"Who sent the information?" Jason asked anxiously.

"Robin." Bruce immediately pressed into his ear. "Batman to Robin, report."

"You're kidding! You've been in range this entire time?!" Tim out bursted then cursed himself under his breath. Bruce grunted with a bit of annoyance, although he couldn't but help feel the same way. "I'm looking at Scarecrow's main device under the Wayne Enterprises."

"Have you come into contact with Batgirl?" Jason's ears perked up at Bruce question.

"She's – she's been captured."

Bruce grew silent, but Jason eagerly shifted himself to look at him. "What? What is it? What happened?"

"Crane was injecting the toxins into her." Tim finished. "I – I left her."

"I see." Bruce ignored Jason for a moment, taking a deep breath as he steadied his gaze towards his face.

"He has her, doesn't he!?" Jason gritted his teeth, standing up and glowering down at Bruce inclined head. He silently nodded. "Dammit!" Jason turned around and slammed his fist into the wall of debris, only to find a few bricks and small concrete slabs fall at his feet. "Dammit, dammit, _dammit_!"

"Stop." Bruce refused to lift his head up as he stared down at his boots. "You'll bring the entire tunnel down." Jason stared down at his bloodied torn knuckles, feeling nothing but the anger boiling in his blood.

"There's a heart monitor attached to Crane so I -" Tim immediately was trying to explain himself, so Bruce turned his attention back towards him.

"I understand. Just get to work."

There was a long pause before Tim could answer. "Right."


	14. Chapter 14

**_that-guy: _**_Thank you! Your comments are much appreciated! And I try. Ha ha. I find writing for these characters (especially Jason) fun and interesting to say the least. ^_^ _

_Be sure to R&R everyone!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 14

Jason took a breath, glaring at the barrier. _I don't care. I'm not going to let it happen again. Scarecrow's going to join Joker on my list of __**Bastards I'm Going to Kill**__._ His eyes scanned up and down the wall of debris. He put his hand up to a small hole that was just at his level. His toes curled in his boot as he took a step back.

Bruce's head snapped up, "No! Don't!"

Jason lifted his leg and kicked at the barrier with every ounce of shaking strength in his muscles. His foot made contact and tightened on impact, pushing through as if nothing was there. His motion stopped, then he kicked again, and again.

"Stop!" Bruce stood up, wincing at the weight being added to his broken leg. Pieces started falling around them, as he watched Jason continue kicking his way through wall ahead of them. He grabbed onto Jason's jacket to pull him back, but Jason shook him off, when his body jolted forward.

"You were saying?" Jason's leg was caught in a hole that he had made just big enough for someone to crawl through. Bruce's mouth was pressed into a thin line in annoyance.

"You took an unnecessary risk." Bruce's cape hid his arms as he sat back down, digging into his utility belt, with his shoulders relaxing. He fiddled with small object in his hand for a minute, then held it out, "here." Jason took the com-link and stuffed it in his ear. "You will follow _my_ orders. No exceptions. _Do you understand_?"

Jason smirked, "Just like old times, right?"

"Don't push it." Bruce stared down at the GPS, then handed it to him as well. Jason nodded, giving himself some space from the wall for a running start, holding the device tightly in his hand. He dug his feet into the ground, and ran at the hole, then jumped through as he twisted his body.

He rolled and landed in a crouch on the other side. "Batman, I'm cutting the wires." Tim's voice was broken as he spoke through the com-link.

"Well, well, if it isn't the cheap knock-off?" Jason sprinted down tunnel. "Why didn't you help her?" Pressure filled his chest.

"Jason…" Tim's tone was low an almost anger filled, but it had a coating of guilt.

"Both of you," Bruce's voice snapped between theirs with annoyance, "Robin, disconnect the radio device from the machine. Jason, find Crane and hold your position until I give you the green light."

"What about Croc," Tim asked, "Scarecrow told him to plant more explosives?"

Jason turned a sharp corner waiting for Bruce's answer, "Tim, do you have any gas pellets left?"

"Yeah but - if it mixes with Crane's fear gas it won't do me any good. The gas will change its chemical composition."

"I'll trust you'll find a way. Once he's taken care of, take a sample of his DNA." Jason's eyebrows arched at Bruce's response, but he shook his head and kept running at the point that Bruce's device was leading him towards. "Jason, you're still listening?" Bruce's question sounded more like a statement.

"Yeah I'm listening," Jason answered.

"You are _not_ allowed to retrieve Batgirl unless I give the order. Am I clear?" Bruce was silent waiting for Jason's answer, but he was too busy biting his lip. "Am I clear?" Bruce repeated.

"Yeah, I get it." Jason let go of his breath with an annoyed undertone.

"Jason, I told you to prove yourself, didn't I?" Bruce's voice was surprisingly lighter than normal, and Jason's eyes widened.

"You're right. She'd be pretty pissed, if I gave a chance like this up." Jason answered with a smirk. Again, he turned a sharp corner seeing the red dot quickly move towards his yellow one on the GPS as he ran. The cavern was right in front of him according to the screen, so he slowed down and started walking with more caution. "Bats, I'm almost there."

"Stay hidden." Bruce ordered.

"No more!" A hysterical scream pierced Jason's ears, making his eyes snap up at the dark end of the tunnel.

"No more? But your body wants my serum – let's give it what it wants." Crane's voice echoed, and Jason's muscles started to shake. Part of it was the withdrawal symptoms, but most of it was anger.

"No!" Cass screamed with heavy breathing. "No more!"

"Give in to fear. Isn't that why you dress like a bat?" Jason stepped forward seeing Crane holding a syringe with his mask tight around his face.

"Don't." Bruce warned within the com.

"I'm – I'm not." Jason whispered, shoving his fists into the pockets of his jacket.

"You want it. Give in." Crane reached down and grabbed around the back of Cass's neck, forcing her to look directly into his mask. Jason's body stiffened, and his teeth clamped onto the inside of his cheek.

"Pl – please," Cass took a few shaky breaths, "do it." Jason's eyes widened as he watched the needle go directly into her neck. He dug his fists deeper into his pockets, trying not to do anything to get himself discovered, staring as her breathing slowed and her body stopped shaking.

"See? Your body needs my treatment." Crane stood back and cocked his head to the side. "Now scream." Jason crouched, running his hand through his hair, glaring at Crane. His leg was bouncing anxiously. _You bastard. I swear to God a bullet will go through your head when I'm done._ He squinted down, realizing that Cass's side was badly scratched.

She thrashed forward, showing him another claw mark hidden along her back. "Bats…" Jason muttered like it was a growl.

"Not yet." Bruce answered. Jason was now slowly opening and closing tightly.

"Bats..." Jason repeated.

"Not. Yet."

"I'm done!" Tim yelled through the com, and it felt like an eternity to Jason before Bruce spoke again.

"Go."


	15. Chapter 15

_Thanks for all the reading! Be sure to tell me what you like or don't like in Reviews or PM's! _

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 15

"Go." Bruce's voice was clear and concise, and in that instant, a cold smirk split Jason's face.

"Finally." His fists slipped out of his pockets as he jumped from the tunnel, down to where Scarecrow was.

"You." Scarecrow looked up at Jason from underneath his boot.

"You pissed off the wrong guy." Jason's fingers curled tighter until his gloves started feeling the strain. He grabbed onto Scarecrow's mask and ripped it off. "Why don't you get a taste of your own medicine?" Jason reached over to a table with a suitcase full of filled syringes with his free hand, and pulled the cap off with his teeth. He quickly injected the needle into Crane's neck. His eyes were wide, but then became half-open in pure bliss. "Go to hell." Jason spied some wire in Crane's suitcase, so he took it and wrapped it around Crane's hands.

After he was finished, he turned around to look at Cass, whose was limply slumped in the chair. He touched her cheek gingerly, tilting her face up and pulling back her cowl. Her hazel eyes were brimming tears, but they seemed almost like they were glazed over. She stared passed his, as if he was as transparent as glass. "Cass." His thumbs rubbed over her cheeks, smearing blood from a cut on her left side. "Cass."

Her eyelids fluttered for a split second, and she blinked with dread written on her face. "More?" She was shivering as if it was cold, but he knew that the suit's insulation should have been protecting her from something like that.

"No, it's me." He brushed a stray piece of her black hair behind her ear. "Hang on, I'm going to untie you, okay?" Her head bobbed slowly, so he knew she understood him. He let go and started undoing the metal binding. When he stripped it away, he knelt back down with his hands on her shoulders. "Cass, listen to me." She blinked again realizing that Jason was right in front of him again. He pressed two fingers into her neck to check her pulse. It was going rapid. He saw the red needle marks. "How many times did he do that to you?"

"Stopped counting - after seven." She said in a monotone. Jason looked away with his eyes tightly shut and swallowed.

He looked back up at her, "Cass, I -"

"You're using – me?" Her voice was so quiet, Jason almost didn't hear her.

"What?"

"Using me. Are you?" She was struggling with her speech. Jason reached up and touched her cheek again.

"Why would you -" He stopped himself. _The fear serum_. "No Cass. I would never do that."

She squinted at him, scanning his body for a quick second, then her eyes widened with streams falling over her eyelashes. "You're – you're lying."

Jason started shaking his head, directing Cass line of sight to look at his face. "No! No! Cass! It's not true! It's _that stuff_! It's not true!" Cass closed her eyes and shook her head, tilting it downwards. She bit her lip and pushed her hands out into Jason's chest. "Cass! Listen to me!" He grabbed her wrists softly.

"No!" She pulled her hands back, and flipped herself out of the chair into a wobbly stance.

"Cass, don't!" _With her pulse like that, it could be dangerous if she strains herself._ "Listen to me! Just calm down!" Jason put his hands up, watching her carefully.

"You lie! To yourself! To Bruce! To me!" She yelled, slipping batarangs in her fingers. He stomach was churning.

"What's going on?" Bruce raised his voice in the com, and Jason pressed his finger in his ear.

"She's reacting to it! She thinks -" He rolled, dodging the batarangs she threw. "I'm against her."

"Her suit's indicating that her heart rate is dangerously high."

"I know that!" Jason ducked his head as Cass threw a punch, then a front snap kick. "What do you want me to do?! I can't beat her in a fist-" Cass's horizontal foot slammed into Jason's torso. The wind was knocked out of him, but he rolled back onto his feet, none the less. "Fight." He gasped, holding his hands up.

Sweat dripped down the side of Cass's face, and she was breathing heavily. "Think of something." Bruce's voice pelted Jason's ear.

"Think-of-something!? Think-of -" Jason yelled back blocking two punches, then flipping back. "Dammit Bats!" Another punch slipped passed his hands, and landed squarely in his jaw, dazing him for a minute. Jason blinked back the dancing lights, realizing that he was on the ground. He rubbed the back of his hand against the corner of his mouth, and saw blood. "Right… Think of something." When he looked up, he saw Cass charging towards him with a fist reared back. She grabbed the back of his jacket, jerking him upwards and onto his feet. Jason closed his eyes; _This is either going to kill me or save me…_ When he opened them, time passed by slowly as she shot her fist towards his face. He raised his hand and caught it, moving it aside, He laced his other hand in her cowl at the back of her neck, then felt the warmth of her lips against his.


	16. Chapter 16

_Alright everyone! I have about two-weeks to get this story done before I ship out to boot camp. And that would be two months of no writing! That's what I'm the most worried about! Ha ha! ^_^'_

_So reviews and PM's always help move this story along! Please and thank you everyone!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 16

Cass's eyes went wide, as she let go of his collar. She shoved her hands forward into Jason's chest, and he staggered back eyeing her carefully. Her hands were shaking in front of her, and she fell to her knees; heart pounding in her ears.

"Cass?" He stepped forward. Her eyes became blurred as she caught her breath, and her anger subsided.

"… Jason…" She rubbed her palms against her hot eyes, feeling the air fill her lungs. "Jason, I did - bad things." She choked on her words. "I almost -"

"Cass." Jason's voice was low and he knelt down in front of her, grabbing her hands away from her face. He slipped her cowl over her eyes, just to be safe. "Don't do that to yourself. You wouldn't let _me_, so don't you dare think that you can blame yourself."

Cass shook her head, "I knew. But – I couldn't stop. Couldn't control."

"I know." Jason wrapped his arms around her and pressed her face into his chest. "But it's over."

Laughter came from off to the side of them, so they turned their heads towards the sound. "Far from it." Crane was shaking and sweating with a wide smile on his face. "Gotham - will be consumed by fear, and you will do nothing - to stop it." He took uneasy breaths, but laughed again.

Jason stood up in front of Cass with his hand wrapped around hers. "Your heart monitor is useless, if your device can't receive its signal."

"No matter. And who ever said the real one - was on me?" Scarecrow's head cocked to the side, and Jason let go of Cass, grabbing onto his shirt. Crane looked passed Jason, smirking at Cass, who was on her knees.

Jason whipped his head around to look at her with wide eyes, then tightened his fist to slam it against Crane's face when he diverted his attention back to him. "Talk."

Cass could felt a strike of pain in her head, so she closed her eyes with her fingers rubbing her temples. All the sounds around her became muffled and unclear, it was as if she were underwater. A shiver ran along her spine, and her limbs felt heavy. "J – Jason." Her voice cracked in her throat, and she tried to swallow.

"Ah, the symptoms are already showing." Crane's eyes were still on Cass. "My experiment is complete." Again, Jason hit him.

"What did you do?"

Crane spit out the blood from his mouth, "I gave her - something to live for."

Cass felt something constrict around her chest, as if a boulder was being placed on top of her, and it was getting harder for her to breathe. Her stomach churned, feeling saliva collect in her mouth. "Give it." She gasped, trying to lift her head up at the suitcase, to see the neon orange syringes. "I – I – don -" She shook her head, "I need it."

"I'd give her what she wants, if I were you." Crane lifted his head staring directly at Jason. "If she stays too long without it – her heart will explode like a popped balloon. And considering how many doses I gave her, that won't be long."

Jason's fist collided with Crane's cheek, over and over again. "You – bastard! Where is the antidote?!" He stopped, tightening his grip on Crane's collar and shook him. Crane's eye was already starting to swell shut.

"It doesn't matter; there's none left." The sound of a glass-like tube bouncing on the ground, made Jason look down. It was an empty syringe at his feet. Jason glanced back at Cass, who was trying her best to get back on her feet by using the table the case was on. He let go of Crane, and blocked her from retrieving more of the fear serum.

"You don't need it." Cass grabbed onto his arms with her fingers digging hungrily into his biceps.

"Burns. My body burns." She snaked a hand around him, desperately trying to reach for the case.

"Let her take it." Crane laughed, "Or do you want her to die?" Jason's eyes narrowed at Crane, but he reached his hand up to Cass's neck, feeling for her pulse again. It was going so fast that he couldn't tell if it was still there. Cass was straining to hold herself up. "Your session is almost up."

Jason glanced at Crane, and at Cass, then back at the case behind him. Cass raised her head, her eye holes were burning through Jason's opaque lenses. He rubbed his thumb against his fingers, feeling the callouses in his fingertips, and swallowed. "No."

Within a split second, his three fingers snapped into the space where Cass's jawline connected underneath her ear, and her body went limp.

…

"Batman, it looks like theirs a weight swinging in the middle of this thing - like a pendulum…"

"Watch it. If you don't cut the wires to match its movement, it'll go off." Bruce answered quickly. Tim watched the silver ball move around in a never-ending circle while rubbing his fingers along the wire cutter. Four colored wires were connected to the bottom of the ball, and at the top of it was a string.

"You're kidding." Tim shifted the com-link in his ear around to make sure Bruce's instructions were correct.

"Do I kid?" Bruce asked sharply.

"… No." Tim answered with a sigh. "Shouldn't I just cut the string?"

"Don't. The weight needs to stay suspended. Hurry up. You don't have much time."

"What? What's going on?" Tim furrowed his brows and shifted onto the open com signal.

"Dammit Bats!" Jason's voice nearly exploded into Tim's eardrum and he quickly switched it back. There was a dimming ringing sound fading from his ear.

"Just get to work," Bruce demanded. Tim rolled his eyes, then studied the weight swinging around in the device. He rolled the wire cutter in his hand, practicing the movements before he made his final moves.

_Alright… Here it goes. No pressure, right?_ _If I screw up, I will explode and everyone in Gotham will be Crane's new __**experiments**__ – definitely no pressure…_ Tim took a deep breath and wiped the sweat off of his forehead with the back of his hand. "Any suggestions – like which wire I should cut first?" Tim waited for Bruce's response.

"Just do it."

"No pressure…" Tim said with an exhale. His fingers curled around the wire cutter as he outstretched his arm, fitting his hand inside the opening of the device. His shoulder moved along with the movement of the pendulum, and the cutter became the wires' dance partner. He squeezed his hand shut, hearing a _clip_, then anxiously pulled his hand back with his eyes tightly closed. He opened one eye, looking at the pendulum. It kept swinging. "Right…" He took a deep breath and rolled his neck to relax his muscles, "One down, three more to go."


	17. Chapter 17

_Well, I had no idea where this chapter was going until the end. So even I'm surprised. Ha ha. Hope you guys have as much fun as I did! R&R please!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters. _

Chapter 17

_I'm really going to get it when she wakes up from that nerve strike._ Jason set Cass's body down gently. He turned around, grabbing onto Scarecrow's collar again. "You have less than 20 minutes, to tell me where I can get another antidote, because unlike them – I don't have the no-killing rule, got it?" Crane smirked.

"Yes, fear. Use it to your heart's content."

"Shut up. Tell me where the antidote is!" Jason shook him with his teeth grinding together.

Crane shrugged his shoulders with a grin, "It's gone. There isn't an antidote anymore."

Jason's fist collided with Crane's cheek, "Wrong answer! Good doctors always keep multiple samples!"

"Ah yes... But I'm not a _good_ doctor now, am I?" Crane asked with a chuckle, and again, Jason hit him. _Dammit, I'm getting nothing out of this guy._ Jason looked back at Cass lying on the ground with her arm relaxed over her stomach. Her breathing was a lot slower than it had been, meaning her heart rate would have slowed along with it. He held a blink for a long while and took a deep breath.

"Hey Knock-off, you there?!" Jason pressed into his ear.

"Dammit Jason! Disarming a bomb right now!" Tim's answer was almost out of breath, and coated with annoyance.

"Oh good, almost done?"

"There's nothing you can -"Jason's knuckles smacked against Crane's cheek again before he could finish his sentence. He was just as annoyed as Tim right now.

"I would be, if you didn't just scare the shit out me!"

"Oh, lighten up." Jason said with a smirk. Crane cocked his head in confusion at the sudden change in demeanor.

After a long pause Tim asked, "Are you high?"

Jason imagined that Tim's face was just as confused as Crane's. "Possibly, Bats stuck a needle in my leg." he answered with a chuckle. _Crane needs to see how calm I am. If he doesn't see fear, he'll lose interest. Then maybe – just maybe he'll tell me where the antidote is, to get a reaction._

"What about Batgirl?!" Tim asked angrily.

"Oh I'm sorry, _now_ you care?" Jason retorted.

"Be quiet." Bruce's voice shot through both of their bodies. "Jason, do you have your re-breather on?" Jason blinked and looked around, realizing that it was knocked off in his fight with Cass.

"No."

Bruce's breathing became labored and wispy. "Both of you - put them on. _Now._" Jason let go of Scarecrow, diving to slip it over his face. As soon as he took a breath, Crane smiled, and a fog seeped into the cavern, as he back away.

Jason's eyes went wide beneath his mask, and took a deep breath, pulling the re-breather away from his face and pressing it against Cass's, before he scooped her up in his arms. He stopped right next to the suitcase, shifting Cass's body as he grabbed a filled syringe of the fear serum and stashing it in his jacket pocket.

His heart started pounding in his ears, as his lungs struggled for air. He desperately looked around, eyes darting from side to side, as he tried to find an exit. His diaphragm contracted, and he pulled the re-breather away from Cass for just a second to gasp, and retrieve more air, then place it back on her face. Her muscles constricted then relaxed again.

"My re-breather – is faulty." Bruce said weakly through the com-link.

"I've disarmed the explosives!" Tim yelled.

"It – doesn't matter -" Bruce took a short labored breath. "The gas – has been – triggered," he coughed.

"Hang on! I'll get you out of there!" Tim yelled, making Jason's eardrum ache.

"Forget it!" Bruce coughed again, "I'm – already climbing out – of -" His cough was more wheezing this time. Jason pulled himself into one of the tunnels, pressing Cass to his chest. He looked down and her eyes opened.

_So much for 20 minutes…_ Cass wiggled her body out of his arms with annoyance tainting her expression. _The fear gas must be a smaller dose than the fear serum, that's why she's functioning. But – how long will it last?_ Jason squeezed his eyes shut, feeling his chest tighten. Cass nodded, ripping the re-breather away from her face and pushing it to his with a shaky hand. He took a deep breath, and grabbed her wrist, feeling for a pulse. _Still dangerously high._ Jason pulled the mask away from his face, shoving it into her hand, and pointed at another tunnel with a ladder at the end of it.

Cass shook her head pointing back, pressing the mask to her face. She hoped that he would understand that she wanted to know where Bruce was. Jason watched his head incline. He either didn't understand or he didn't want to tell her. She shivered, feeling a cold sweat cover her body. _Not useless. Not again._ Cass bit her lip, running deeper into the tunnel away from the ladder. She watched Jason's body jolt, and he ran after her.

Her lungs filled in a deep breath, and she tossed the re-breather back at him, continuing with her run. Jason snapped it against his face. "Cass! Don't! Get out of here!" She ignored him, and pounded her feet into the concrete of the tunnel.

Jason took a breath, as he caught up to her and pushed the re-breather into her chest. She took it and gasped. "Bruce needs help." Jason waved his fingers, asking for the re-breather and she handed it to him.

"No. _You_ need help. Go to the surface with Knock-off Boy!" Cass snapped her fist against his shoulder. He didn't realize that it was twice until the pain started to register in his brain. "Ow! What was that for?!" Cass held her hand out, and he pressed the re-breather into her hand.

"Once, for nerve strike. Second, for being stupid." She looked ahead with her eyes wide. A figure in black with broad shoulders, was on his hands and knees, trying to desperately suck air from the mask in his hands. Her feet picked up speed. As she got closer she realized that his leg was broken. Jason tapped her shoulder, and she tossed her re-breather at him.

Bruce looked up at the two blurred shadows with demonic grins speeding towards him. They faded into a man in a suit, and a woman with glowing pearls around her neck. His eyes widened, and he choked, backing away. "Get back." _No, this is just the fear toxin. Keep calm._ He blinked, seeing the yellow outlined bat emblem. "Batgirl." Cassandra nodded, pulling one of his arms over her shoulder. Bruce looked off to the other side of him. A hand passed in front of his face, handing off a re-breather. A fog built up inside the mask, then she took off the one that was on Bruce, and pressed it onto his pointed nose. Bruce took a deep breath, glancing at Jason, who had taken his other arm.

In the corner of his eye, Jason saw Cass flinch and put a hand to the side with the claw marks, then shake her head quickly. "I'm…. surface! Can anyone… me!" Tim shouted, and Bruce nodded at Jason's hand that was waiting to take the re-breather again.

"Yeah, we hear ya. What's it look like?" Jason gave Cass a quick pass, then took it back to Bruce.

"…. infected…..! This is bad!" Tim answered.

Bruce took a shallow breath, "H—how many?"

"Fift….. sevent… Even….. officers! Agh!"

Bruce grit his teeth together, while Cass and Jason exchanged glances. He ripped the mask angrily from his face, handing it to Cassandra. "What – what are we -"

"I don't know!" Bruce yelled, but she quickly pressed the mask back on him. He huffed clouds into the plastic, and shook his head away from it.

Jason grabbed the re-breather. "It's not over, we just need to close off this area of Gotham and wait until the gas subsides."

"Withdrawals?" Cass barely uttered out.

"As long as the victims are unconscious until we find the antidote, it'll be alright." Jason's body shuddered. Speaking of withdrawal symptoms; his were coming back.

"Oracle…! JLA!" Tim yelled through the static.

Cass felt her heart feel lighter when she saw the ladder, picking up more of Bruce's weight. He grunted, adjusting his hop, so Jason again, switched the mask to his face.

"No!" Bruce shouted into the com. Cassandra gripped onto the metal bars of the ladder, wrapping her arm through his shoulder and lifting him up. Her arms were shaking as she lifted both herself and Bruce up.

Jason almost didn't believe how much strength she had for having such a small body. Bruce used his arms to heave himself onto the asphalt. He pulled re-breather away and handed it to Cassandra.

She huffed into it, feeling sweat soak into her cowl. Jason put a hand on her shoulder as he squinted down the street with a blurred vision. Bruce slid the cover over the manhole, and Jason gasped. Cass followed Jason's line of sight, and sighed. Tim was backed against a wall, swinging and dodging desperately. At nothing.


	18. Chapter 18

_I was kind of if-fy about this one... but hey I'll change it if you tell me to. _

_And Be sure to – aw who am I kidding? You guys have read enough chapters to know what I'm going to ask… R&R please! ;) Thanks again!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 18

"How – how did you know?" Jason asked between breaths as he ran his hand through his hair.

Bruce's head titled up, "I didn't."

Jason stared down at the asphalt and shook his head with a chuckle. "You really haven't changed at all, Bats."

Bruce pressed into his ear, "Oracle, I need you to -"

"Evacuate the area? Done," she answered through the com, "Dad's got a perimeter set up two blocks away just to be safe. And three ambulances are standing by."

Cass stood up to walk towards Tim, but quickly lost her balance feeling a pressure on her chest. She brought her hand up against the left side, taking deep breaths, and tried standing back up again. Her arms and the back of her neck became numb. She could no longer feel the claw marks in her back or along her ribs.

"There's too many! Someone!" Tim shouted with eyes wide behind his opaque lenses, feeling the wall against his back. She could see the hairline crack in his mask as he breathed.

"T – Tim. It's alright." Cass became heavy headed, and fell to her knees again. She saw the blurred colored outline of his Robin's uniform.

When he looked back up, Jason's smile disappeared and he squinted at her. "Cass?" Bruce's head snapped up.

"I feel – h – heavy." Cass muttered breathlessly.

"She's going into cardiac arrest." Bruce instantly started getting onto his feet, but tripped with a groan, remembering his broken leg the hard way. "Oracle! Get a medic down here!"

Jason grabbed onto her shoulders, to flip her onto her back. "Hang on, alright? Just keep your eyes on me, and breathe." A crocodile's hiss made the hair on the back of his neck stand and his eyes widen as he turned his head in the direction of an alleyway off to his right.

"I smell - death."

…

The sound of Croc's jaws gnashing together, made Jason's back straighten. "Listen to me, alright, Baby Bat?" He tried to keep a steady voice, as Cass slowly nodded her head, disfiguring the emblem on her chest by clutching onto her uniform. "Bats will take care of you." She grabbed onto his hand, gasping for air with fear written along the stitches of her mask. "I'll be back, I promise." He put his hand on top of her's and squeezed, as he watched Bruce skid himself right next to Cass.

"Go." Bruce replaced Jason's hand with his.

Croc's hiss was a lot closer, so Jason turned his head, stealing a few batarangs from Cass belt, then rolling away with a snap in his arm. Two of the batarangs landed squarely on Croc's face. He whipped his head and an animalistic growl came from his mouth. "You're going to die, Boy." Croc's claws moved anxiously against his scaled palm.

Jason glanced at Bruce and Cass behind Croc's towering body. _God, all I seem to do it get her into trouble… She was right. You are stupid, Jason._ He shook his head and adjusted his gloves around his fists. "Bring it on, you son-of-a -"

Croc charged with a loud roar. Jason instantly picked up his feet, and slid in between his legs as if he were running to home base, tossing another batarang at the back of his head. Killer Croc shifted his body around with a snarl pulling on his expression. "I will grind -"

"Yeah, yeah - my bones to make your bread… What are you, the Grumpy Green Giant?" Jason looked down at the last batarang in his hand. _I better save this…_ He slipped it into his pocket, feeling the syringe, and remembered he had put it in there earlier. "Bats!" Bruce's head shot up, directing his attention on Jason. "Catch!" Jason tossed it, and it landed in between Bruce's fingers attached to his extended arm. In the background, Jason could see an ambulance racing towards them. "Get her out of here!" Bruce inclined his head.

Killer Croc's stomping feet, nearly cracked the asphalt as he came running. Jason's eyes darted from Killer Croc's face to Tim with his knees pulled up to his chest in the corner between two buildings. _The gas pellet!_ A claw slashed at his torso, but Jason was fast enough to use it as a spring board to land a kick in Croc's face.

He jumped off of his back, springing into a crouch as he eyed Tim carefully. "Knock-off Boy!" Tim was incoherent, slowly looking around with his teeth grinding together. "Robin! Boy Wonder! Wonder Brat!" Jason called, again, dodging another slash from one of Croc's claws. Tim still didn't notice. "Dammit!" He rolled his eyes, "Bird Junior!" Tim turned his head, squinting at him. _Seriously? Bird Junior? That's what he answers –_ Jason's world suddenly turned upside down, as his back slammed on the asphalt, making him see bright lights that faded and shot into the clouds. "Ow…" He cocked his head over to the side to roll himself backwards, which made Croc narrowly miss with a heavy swing into the ground. Jason could see out of the corner of his eye that Tim was now standing on his feet. "Snap out of it Bird Junior!"

Tim rubbed the back of his head, still in a daze as if he were a preschooler waking up from a midday nap. "What's – going on?" He pinched the bridge of his nose, and felt the aches of withdrawal slowly travel along his muscles.

"Move!" Jason kicked Tim's feet out from under him, when Croc slashed his claws through the air, and flipped back into an offensive stance. "Geez, and you're supposed to be my replacement?!"

Tim got back on his feet, blinking in Killer Croc's figure, and flipped his body off to the side. His stomach churned and he felt saliva collect in his mouth, as it threatened to remove its contents. He took a deep breath, pulling out a few birdarangs from his utility belt. Tim quickly emptied his hand, as each one of them hit its mark on Croc's face.

Jason glanced back to where Bruce and Cass were. Cass's hand was lifted away from her body, as if she were reaching out for someone else. He bit the inside of his cheek, knowing that it should be him. His eyes snapped back towards Killer Croc, but instead he saw his hand cutting through the air. He pressed his feet into the asphalt, trying to bounce back, but the burn of his extended claws stretched across his chest and he blew air out of his teeth.

"Jason!" Tim tossed another birdarang, snapping Killer Croc's attention back to him with a hiss. When he thrusted a few punches in human vital spots, Croc just swung his arms angrily.

Jason recoiled back, wiping two fingers on his chest. Blood was seeping into his gloves as his hands trembled. Paramedics were shouting off to his side.

"Batgirl, can you hear me?" The man pried at her mask carefully with his gloved fingers, but Bruce grabbed a hold of his arm. It was rolled up to her nose.

"Don't."

"Sorry Batman, but I need to see her eyes," he assured.

"No." Cass put her hand on the paramedic's patch as if it were a push, while the other rose and hovered just above her face. Bruce grabbed onto it, and reached for the other, but it fell across her waist as if it had no strength left.

"Batgirl!" Bruce shouted, and Jason's eyes went wide, watching Bruce desperately dig through his utility belt and pulled out a syringe with a long needle. Jason blinked remembering when Cass stopped breathing after they had escaped Joker's burning building. _Adrenaline._

Bruce's fingers pressed against the left side of her chest as he pulled the cap off with his teeth. With one smooth swing, Bruce had injected the needle and pressed his thumb down to the very end of the tube.

"Get the defibrillator going!" The male medic next to Cass shouted at a female one shuffling in the back of the ambulance.

The air escaped Jason's lungs as he flew back down to the ground. It took about a second for Jason to register that Killer Croc's foot was on his stomach. He imagined the pressure of his foot imprinting the ridges of the asphalt into his spine. He gasped, looking up at Killer Croc's slack mouth. He was so close that he could count every single one of his teeth. Everything began to move in slow motion. His head turned, watching the paramedics lift Cass's body onto the wheeled cot. A breathing apparatus was already on her face with the cowl still partially covering her eyes. He looked back up at the sky passed Croc's head, and the cool touch of a raindrop fell on his cheek. _She's dead… Cass is dead._ Jason could no longer hear the sound of the sirens or the shouting of the paramedics.

It was now starting to pour rain, reminding Jason of the time he really talked to Cass as himself on top of the Ace Chemicals building. He liked watching her movements, and he wanted a good fight. At least, that's what he told himself when he was trying to get her attention. But that was it – that's all he wanted that night. It was her attention.

The weight on his chest increased, and he could feel his ribs strain and crack underneath the pressure of Killer Croc's foot. The last of the air that he had left, was seeping out between his gritted teeth, and his lungs were nearly deflated. He closed his eyes. _Maybe dying with her, isn't so bad… But this time – we won't come back._


	19. Chapter 19

_Okay… __**You guys might flame…. So I'm warning you**__… I spent two hours trying to find the Bat family member's blood types. (You'll see why later…) And to my surprise… I found nothing so I got a bit creative. I'll change it if you guys find the correct information. If not… Too bad!_

_Thanks again!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 19

"Bruce! Bruce!" Bab's voice rang through the com-link in Bruce's ear, as he sat in on a cot in a hospital emergency room with his leg wrapped in a cast.

"Barbara, I've made a mistake - again." He stared the yellow outlined emblem on the Batgirl suit, and put an unsteady hand to his own.

"I – I can't be reading this right; Batgirl's suit says -"

Bruce swallowed and dropped his hand onto his knee. "You are." He heard a raspy gasp from the other end of the signal.

"Where," her voice cracked, "where is she?" Bruce pinched the bridge of his nose and took a breath. His body felt numb from the anesthetics he received. He pictured riding in the ambulance with Cassandra, thinking that it was so eerie seeing her lying in the cot, just like Stephanie Brown had before she died. "_Where is she_?" Babs asked with more force and more worry travelling along with her words.

"The paramedics took her." Bruce said with a low tone. The image of his parents' headstones, along with Jason's flashed in his mind, and the thought of another slab with Cassandra's name written across it made his stomach drop.

"Oh God," Bruce could tell Babs had put a hand over her mouth, stifling her tears, "I -" She sniffed and took a deep breath.

"I know, Barbara."

"No, Bruce," Again she sighed, "You sent me information." Typing filled the emptiness of the com and Bruce automatically cocked his head, furrowing his brows. "The antidote – I can recreate it."

…

Jason's hearing dulled to ringing and the pounding of his heartbeat. His eyes were beginning to darken. The smell of the sewer's off of Killer Croc's body had disappeared, and he no longer tasted the iron in his mouth. _I should have been there, Cass. I should have held your hand… And I'm sorry._

"I can't believe you're giving up!" The voice was loud, but deep. It almost sounded like it belonged to Bruce, but then again, it seemed too young. Jason's eyes snapped over. "Get up!" The sound of metal skidding against the asphalt pelted his ear; a birdarang was a foot away from his head. The flash of the color black and yellow passed above Croc's head. The pressure on Jason's chest subsided and he gasped, remembering how sweet the air really did taste, even if Croc's odor was polluting it. "Snap out of it!" He blinked, watching Tim's mask come clear into his view.

"Knock-off Boy?" Jason blinked again, and shook his head, feeling it throb then fill with empty weight. He smirked with his palm on his forehead as he tried to stand up then he grit his teeth. Cass was dead, and he was about to meet her. "She's – she's -"

Tim quickly grabbed Jason's free hand and yanked it as far away from his body as possible, missing another swing from Croc's arms. Somehow, Jason's body knew where down was, so he landed back on his feet far behind Tim with his hand still attached. "Alive or not, Batgirl wouldn't want you to quit!"

Jason watched Tim spring himself into the air with an extended bo-staff smashing into Killer Croc's shoulder as he growled. He took a deep breath, and felt his hand involuntarily snake into his jacket pocket around the last batarang he had taken from Cass. Tim's bo-staff knocked against Croc's forearms as he blocked his wasted attacks. He pressed his thumb into his belt searching for more birdarangs, but it turned up empty.

"Robin!" Tim's recoiled and flipped backwards, looking at Jason as he huffed. "The pellet!" Jason pushed off of the ground in a running start, then twisted his body in the air, snapping the batarang upwards into Killer Croc's jaw.

Tim's eyes went wide, and he instantly dug into his utility belt again, holding the small black ball in between his fingers. Croc's eyes were shut, and his chin was jutted upwards. Jason carefully studied Tim, and held his breath. _Come on, Tim. _

His open palm collided with Killer Croc's snout, bursting the knock-out gas pellet on contact. Tim pressed his lips together, fighting the urge to inhale as the black gas surrounded his body like a blanket.

Jason squinted through the black clouds, as he back away far enough to nearly see the flashing police lights. Tim bursted out a few feet from him taking a deep breath, with his eyes focused straight ahead. Two consecutive thuds made the smoke dissipate towards them, so they turned their head, then snapped their attention back to in front of them.

Killer Croc's mouth was open, and a rumble came from his chest, but over his eyes there was a translucent eyelid. Tim and Jason both sighed and looked at each other, feeling the odd sense of old age suddenly taking over their bodies. Jason pressed his hand against his chest feeling the backlash burn of Killer Croc's claws.

"Cass…" He muttered with his teeth curled over his bottom lip. Jason remembered Scarecrow plunging the needle into her neck, making her beg for more. A hand landed on his shoulder, and he looked up. Tim swallowed with worry lines etched into his face. "Give me a D-cell." He nodded handing him one of his extra grapnel guns while shooting his own to run on top of a building. Jason followed, shifting his body in the air to swing to the Gotham City General Hospital.

"She'll – she'll be alright." Tim shouted as if he were trying to convince himself at the same time. Jason lowered his eyes looking at the blood smeared onto his glove as he swung.

"We came too close last time – what if -" He couldn't finish his sentence, feeling his stomach harden and churn.

"This is Cass we're talking about," Tim took a deep breath and forced a smile, "she'll come back, just like she always has." His Adam's apple bobbed again, trying to keep his voice from cracking. Jason released the line, and started running along the rooftops of buildings. He could see the outline of the hospital building as he fired out another line.

"Slow down, Jason!" Tim was far behind, but Jason didn't care and continued launching his body into the air.

_Please… please be alright._ The ache in Jason's chest became stronger as he dropped in front of the building. Tim quickly caught up, breathing just as heavily as Jason was. _Please!_ Jason's feet moved involuntarily, darting inside. His hip slammed against the front desk, startling the nurse who was busy reading a magazine.

"Batgirl!" Tim cut in putting his hands on the countertop.

"What room?" Jason asked, silently praying that she was in a _room_ not the morgue. The nurse eyed them carefully, studying the cuts and dirt on their faces and within their clothes. She quickly glanced down at a clipboard then looked back up with her mouth open.

"R – room three-sixty-five. But visiting hours -"

Jason grabbed onto Tim's cape, as he sprinted, "Come on!"

"Hey!" The nurse shouted down the hallway, but by then, Jason and Tim were already running up the stairs.

_That means she's alive! If she has a room, she's alive!_ They bursted through the third door. Jason looked ahead down the empty white hallways, eyeing the numbers, as he passed by, but nearly slipped on the white tile when he saw Bruce's dark body, slumped in a chair. He was pinching the bridge of his nose, then he dropped his hand onto his cast. He was holding Cass's uniform.

"Batman!" Tim shouted, picking up his speed, but Jason was slowing down feeling a weight pull onto his shoulders. "How – how's she doing?"

Jason carefully watched Bruce's body, as he waited for an answer. Bruce didn't look up from his hands, "Her heart has stopped – twice." Jason's legs almost melted into the tile. "The doctors are talking about a transplant if she doesn't stabilize within the hour, but -" Bruce's mouth clamped shut.

"What? What is it?" Jason stepped forward and Bruce raised his head.

"The only available heart is in Reno."

"Nevada?" Tim asked and Bruce nodded.

"What about the Flash?" Jason asked, but Bruce shook his head.

"Off world."

"Superman?"

"Off world with Diana."

"Kid?" Tim quickly asked.

"He's on a mission."

"And you aren't going to bring him back!" Jason shouted, nearly pushing through Tim to get to Bruce. His hand grabbed onto his cape. "She's going to die!"

"I know that!" Bruce snapped, and Jason immediately let go seeing that his jaw was clenched shut, and ran his hand through his hair anxiously.

"So that's all?!" Jason held his hand out to the door, "There's nothing we can do?!"

"Oracle is recreating the antidote, but Batgirl's heart is damaged nonetheless. She might need the transplant anyways."

Tim's head snapped up, but his voice was uneasy. "Jason," he took a breath and looked at him carefully, "Your blood type is compatible with Batgirl's."

Bruce's eyes widened and he almost stood up to grab their attention, "No," but despite his efforts, Jason was already listening to Tim.

"You mean -"

"We could test to see if your heart is also compatible to her's, but -" Tim looked down.

"No. There too many risk factors. You could both end up losing your lives for nothing." Bruce applied weight to his good leg, grabbing onto Jason's shoulder, but it was easily shaken off.

"Do it."


	20. Chapter 20

**_SweetPete:_** _I miss you greatly ma' dear! LOL._

_And no flames yet… so I think I'm good! XD Yay! But still… R&R please! They are much appreciated!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 20

"You know, seeing you like this, reminds me that you're still human." Bruce didn't have to lift his head up; he knew it was Commissioner Gordon. It had been nearly thirty-five minutes since Tim had left to go back to the cave with two blood samples. Jason's eyes snapped up, but his head was still lowered as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. His leg was bouncing impatiently, and his teeth were curled over his bottom lip. "Croc is on his way back to Arkham. Still no sign of Scarecrow." Bruce slowly nodded his head, and nothing but the buzz of the faulty iridescent light filled the silence. "How is she?"

"Her heart's failing." He cleared his throat, "She's had too much exposure to Crane's hybrid fear toxin." Bruce said in a low tone as he glanced at Jason. Gordon shoved his hands into his coat pockets.

"The only nearest donor is me." Jason said.

"We don't know that yet." Bruce snapped, and Gordon's eyebrows rose behind his large glasses.

"I'm sorry but, son - the doctors would never take you." Gordon said shaking his head.

Jason was now silently staring at the gun in its holster just passed Gordon's coat. Bruce took a deep breath, and looked at Jason. "Even if they did, and somehow you were compatible, I wouldn't let you do it." Jason jolted forward, shifting his weight back on his feet, and slipping his hand into Gordon's holster, pulling out the police issued handgun.

Instantly, Gordon and Bruce jumped, but stopped when Jason pressed the gun to his chin. "If I was already dead, you'd have no choice."

…

He blinked in his surroundings as the sound of beeping machines faded into his ears. Dick was in the Batcave. "He's waking up." Tim's face came into view, then Alfred's alongside him. His hand when up to his throbbing head as he sat up, nearly ripping the cords that were attached to him away from his body.

"What – what happened?"

"Oracle, the antidote – it's stable!" Tim yelled excitedly pressing his finger into his com. Dick swung his feet over the edge of the cot. "Whoa, Dick." Tim grabbed onto his shoulder.

"What's going on?"

"Fear toxin. The old antidote you injected to yourself only increased the side effects and the withdrawal symptoms." Tim quickly turned, grabbing a few blue filled bottles and stuffing them into his utility belt, then pulling on his motorcycle helmet.

"Hey, where are you going?" Dick asked almost with a slur. Tim stopped, and turned his head to look at him with his shoulders heavy.

"It's Cass – she's -" Tim looked at Alfred as if asking for help.

"What?! What's wrong with Cass?!" Dick immediately stood up, and stumbled only to have Alfred bear his weight, and adjust him back onto his feet.

"She's dying." Tim's voice cracked as he muttered, then he darted towards his motorcycle, knowing he had spent too much time and his hour was almost up.

"Dying?!" Dick shouted as his stomach dropped, but Alfred's eyes locked with his.

"Master Richard, may I ask that you sit yourself down?"

"No! I have to -"

"You are in no condition to leave the Manor." Alfred raised his voice, but the way he spoke carried a weight that involuntarily made Dick sit back with his heart jumping to his throat.

"I just can't sit here and do nothing..." Dick said quietly with frustration.

"_Sitting here_ is my daily routine, Master Richard." Dick looked up and bit his lip, then stood to walk to the computer. He tapped on a key, and Barbara's icon popped up.

"Barbara, I need answers." He muttered quietly, and he could hear her unsteady breathing on the other side.

"I know," she answered.

…

"Jason is -" Tim paused, ducking himself low as he rode on his motorcycle, thinking about the consequences if he told what was on his mind. He shook his head and took a deep breath, _it's for Cassandra. _"Jason is a match."


	21. Chapter 21

_I know… Aren't cliffhangers evil? I for one, love them, because even I have no idea what's going to happen next. ;) (I kid you not.) ENJOY!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 21

_Cass stood in what seemed like an endless ocean with the water up to her knees. The air was cold and bitter making her lungs burn every time she inhaled and bumps rise on her skin even though she was wearing the Batgirl suit. "Jason?" She called out, looking around her, spotting an oversized moon just behind her back over the water. "Bruce?" Her voice echoed and she started to panic. "Tim?! Dick?! Bar-"_

_ She gasped, feeling hands around her ankles and pulling her under. Her arms and legs thrashed around against the push of the water, and she opened her eyes seeing nothing but darkness. Cass felt her lungs strain for air, but no matter how much she swam, she couldn't reach the surface, and the water filled her mouth. To her surprise, she could still breathe._

_ "Hey, Cass." A pale hand tapped on her shoulder, and she shifted her body around. _

_ "Stephanie?" Cass looked into her blue eyes, studying her smile. She was in her Spoiler's costume._

_ "Long time no see, right?" Stephanie giggled and grabbed her hand. Cass's brows furrowed together; she didn't understand why she couldn't read her body language. She's always been able to read Stephanie. "Come on." Cass shook her head, and retracted her hand; something in the back of her mind was telling her that she was forgetting something. "What's the matter?"_

_ "I – don't belong." She muttered, looking behind her to try to remember._

_ "But Cass, it's time." Stephanie assured, and grabbed her hand again. Cass took a step forward, almost involuntarily. _

_ "No." Cass retracted her hand again and blinked, biting her lip. Now she remembered. "Jason."_

_ "Jason?" Stephanie repeated with a confused look on her face. _

_Cass smiled and nodded, wrapping Stephanie around in a hug, "Not yet."_

…

"Son, you don't want to do this." Gordon put his open hands out with his eyes wide. Bruce was pushing his thumb into his utility belt, looking for a batarang.

"You're right, I don't." Jason said pulling the safety off. "But if it's for her, I'll do it."

"Jason is a match." Tim's voice rang out through the com-link, and Bruce's brows rose and his heart nearly stopped. Jason swallowed and took a deep breath.

"Jason, stop." Bruce's batarang was in between his fingers, behind the cover of his cape. "You don't have to do this."

Jason closed his eyes then opened them, "Yes I do." He cocked the gun to make sure the bullet was in the chamber, and his arm moved to press it back to his chin with Bruce lurching forward.

…

Dick sat at the computer flipping up a switch to hear the open com line. A gunshot sounded. He stood up pressing down on a key, letting the chair wildly swing around behind him. "This is Nightwing! Shot's fired! What's going on?!"

Another gunshot filled the speakers. "Barbara!" He shouted, "What are you seeing?!"

"Nothing! Bruce shut off his feed!" She shouted back, typing furiously. Dick leaned in to listen.

"Jason! Stop!" Bruce shouted with what sounded like his teeth grinding together.

"I'm not – going – to let her – die!" The sound of knuckles slamming against the com pelted Dick's ears, and the video feed expanded on the screen. Dick's eyes went wide, watching Bruce's gloved hands wrestle a handgun out of Jason's clearly above their heads.

The camera view tilted for a split second. Commissioner Gordon was leaning against a wall, gripping onto his arm as blood spilled from it, then back to Jason's face.

"Dad!" Barbara yelled, but Dick kept watching. A fist collided with Jason's cheek.

"No! You – can't do it! Not like this!" Dick watched the gun on the screen skid down the white tile, far away from their hands. Bruce reached and grabbed Jason's collar punching him against, then smacking the back of his head against the ground. "I won't lose you two again!" Jason stopped and swallowed, while both Dick and Barbara stared at the screen silently. Bruce's hands let go, as Jason slowly sat up, looking away from Bruce. The view switched back to Gordon holding his arm. "Jim, are -"

"I've had worse." He answered, "It's just a graze. Besides, you have other things to take care of."

…

Bruce pressed into his ear, but stopped when a voice blared from Gordon's radio frantically. "Commissioner, shots were fired, do you need back up?"

"No need. Can't you rookies tell the difference between a candy bar falling down the vending machine and a gunshot? Stand down." Gordon sighed and stood up shakily, picking up his handgun and pressing it in his holster. Bruce wobbled onto his good leg, and felt the ache travel down his broken one.

"But Commissio -" The radio blared.

"I said _stand down_." He said with an annoyed tone. Gordon released the radio and looked up at Bruce with a nod.

Bruce glanced back at Jason, who was cradling his head in his hands, as Gordon walked away out of earshot. "Jason -"

"I've left her alone – again, Bruce. I thought that maybe – this time -"

"She would have never forgiven you if you did. You know that." Bruce shifted himself back onto the skewed chair, and watched him carefully.

"But if she's gone -" Jason's voice cracked and he cut himself off seeing a woman with bright green eyes open the door in a white coat and a mask around her neck. She blinked, taking in their appearances, then held her hand out towards Bruce.

"I'm Doctor Peterson." Jason stood up, glancing at her outstretched hand when she reached for him, but she quickly retracted it awkwardly when he didn't take it.

"How is she?" Jason immediately asked feeling his heart pound in his ears.

"She wanted to talk to you."

"And her identity," Bruce inquired.

"It's not my job to pay attention to who my patients are, Batman, just their condition." She shook her head then quickly inclined it, "Now please excuse me."

Jason's fingers were hovering over the handle of the door, but he quickly wrapped them around it, and pushed it open with his stomach churning.

Cass bobbed her head off to the side, and smiled with a deep breath, fogging up the plastic mask on her face, "Jason." His feet moved over the tile as if they never touched the ground, and he grabbed onto her hand, squeezing it as if he could keep her from leaving. She sighed, "Terror… and nothing." She said quietly. He looked up at her half-open eyes, and swallowed. "I was wrong." Again, she took a breath, but this time it was more raspy, so Jason tightened his grip.

"Cass, I can save you – if they take my heart -"

Cass closed her eyes and shook her head. "Idea is stupid. You are not. " She squeezed back weakly, and Jason pressed his forehead against their interlocked fingers. The sound of the door opening again, made Cass look up. Bruce turned around and locked the door, as he pulled back his cowl. He quickly stood on the opposite side of her and pressed his hand on the top of her head.

Cass's heart monitor started beeping a little faster, but it was because she was happy. Bruce was different than Cain. Cain's way of showing affection wasn't really affection and it always hurt. But Bruce – even though he was lonely and distant, he still knew that sometimes Cass wanted to feel what a normal family was like. When she looked up at him, she could see the clear coat of mist in his eyes. "I'm okay." She said with a smile reading his body language and facial expressions. Bruce was trying hard not to tell her anything, but she could see that there was a sense of hopelessness in the way his shoulders were held, and how his spine was curved.

"You weren't ready, Cassandra – I should have -" Bruce stopped seeing Cass's smile disappear and the slow shake of her head. She pursed her lips trying to find the right words.

"I make – my own - choices." She could feel her body slowly numb, and her eyes get heavy.

"Cass, don't close your eyes." Jason, put his hand up to her cheek then cupped her neck, as he squeezed her hand until the tips of her fingers turned white. "Cass."

"Jason, I'm – so – tired." She huffed, watching Jason's features blend and blur. She could hear the sound of the heart monitor beep at irregular fast paces, realizing that maybe this time it might be for real. It became harder for her to breathe, and her eyes trying to focus on Jason's face were now seeing darkness.

"Cass!"


	22. Chapter 22

**_Review Scavenger Hunt:_** _See if you can find yourself or other reviewers within this chapter. Can you guess how many there are? :)_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 22

Bruce was already unlocking the door with his cowl on, pulling it open with a force that nearly took it off its hinges and stepped forward. He stopped, staring down at Tim who had a hand out with something locked inside. Tim was breathing heavily with sweat pouring down the side of his face.

"Antidote – here." He pressed the blue bottle to Bruce's chest, but his eyes widened when he saw Jason in the background and the heart monitor, both going wild. "I'm – too late?"

"Get Doctor Peterson." Bruce shuffled around in his utility belt, then pulled out an empty syringe.

"Doctor Peterson, right." Tim nodded, darting away as Bruce pushed the needle through the upturned lid.

"Cass! Wake up!" Jason yelled, glancing behind him at her heart monitor. It was flashing red and screaming just as loud as he was. "Bru -" But he quickly stopped with he saw a hand twist Cass's arm and stick a need in the crook of her elbow. The tube emptied, and Bruce eyed the machine carefully. "But I thought you said -"

"It might give us more time." Bruce's eyes were bouncing between the monitor and Cass's face. They stared at the changing numbers and the bouncing line.

"It's -" Before Jason could finish, hurried footsteps led into the room.

"Kate! Get the oxygen! I'm starting compressions!" Doctor Peterson snapped her finger out, with her eyes connecting on a nurse with small red bats on her scrubs as she darted in the room. She grabbed a tube that was meant to be force down Cassandra's airways, along with a green bottlelike object. "I need you to get back." Jason was still hanging onto her hand, and he glanced with his eyes narrowed at Doctor Peterson. "If I'm going to save her, I need you to let go."

Jason swallowed and watched his fingers uncurl away from Cass's as Peterson's body blocked his view. "Jason," Bruce put his hand on his shoulder and squeezed, "we've done what we can." Jason turned around seeing Tim in the doorway, trying to look passed the two nurses and a man in scrubs swarm in. He stepped back slowly, hearing the sound of his own breathing in his ears as if time slowed and increased the volume of everything around him.

He could hear the electricity from the defibrillator as it charged up, "No! Stop!" Doctor Peterson quickly yelled putting her hand up with her eyes glued to the heart monitor. Jason's head whipped his attention to her line of sight so quickly he thought he was going to break his neck. Peterson looked back down at Cass's chest and took a deep breath. "She's stabilizing."

…

Dick blinked, driving as fast as he could in the Batmobile. _Someone has to take care of Scarecrow._

"Dick, should you really be going out so soon?" Barbara asked with a worried tone. Dick glanced off to the side spotting some teenagers that were maybe 17 years old at the most, staring out at the Batmobile. Under the streetlight he could see the "X" colored red on the t-shirt of one of them holding a camera phone out furiously taking pictures. "Dick?"

"Yeah, sorry," he took a breath, "I'm fine. I'm just a little – distracted." He shook his head and kept driving, with another vial of the antidote held tightly in his fingers.

"I can't believe she's -" Barbara started but quickly cut herself off. Dick could hear the guilt in her tone.

"I know." He cleared his throat, and pressed deeper into the gas pedal. "It's not over. Cass will be alright." The steering wheel bit into his hands, and he turned a sharp corner. "She'll be alright."

…

_Cass's body seemed like it was floating again, but this time bodies of the dead were pooling around her. Stephanie and even the man that she had killed when she was younger, were there, just drifting by. Their faces faded in the moonlight with happiness in their eyes, but Cass felt alone as she bobbed her body upwards to stand._

_ Her toes dug through the sand, and she didn't feel guilt or any sadness in her chest. She wasn't good with words, but the word that came to mind, was silence. Her mind was quiet, as she watched those bodies disappear. She turned around to look at the starlit shore with the sky reflecting a similar sight of a city. "Home," she muttered._

…

"You're all set, Commissioner." The nurse smiled brightly through her tired and smeared eyeliner.

"Thank you – ah -" He squinted through his glasses and lifted them up to peer at her nametag. "Renee," he finished clearing his throat.

"You're welcome." She winked as she threw the last scraps of the bloody bandages away, and washed her hands thoroughly. "Will you do me a favor?" Gordon stopped as he opened the door and nodded. "If you're on your way down to the front desk, tell them that the sink in room 666 needs J.T." Gordon raised his eyebrow at the ominous number, but shook his head knowing that it didn't really bug him since he wasn't very superstitious. _Hell, you believe in the Batman._ He thought to himself, but the flash of him sitting down in that chair with his leg in a cast made him take a deep breath. _No, the Batman isn't a superstition. You of all people know that._ Gordon walked down the hallway with his hand on his radio.

"All units," He paused and took another deep breath, "Get ready. We're going after Scarecrow."


	23. Chapter 23

**_There are 6 of them!_**_ XD hee hee! I hope that chapter was a bit of extra fun! Because I have writer's block again…. And I only have eight days left… I hope I finish in time… _

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 23

"Nightwing to Batman." Dick's finger pressed against the com-link, as he saw a sudden shadow slip around a corner of an alleyway. He was standing on top of a building that was near Wayne Enterprises with the Batmobile hidden a block away. "I have Scarecrow in sight." Bruce didn't reply right away, meaning he was probably surprised that Dick was even active.

"You have the antidote?" Bruce's reply wasn't really like a question.

"Yeah." Dick pulled out his new set of escrima sticks and twirled them in his fingers.

"Take him to Arkham." His answer was clear and concise, and Dick pressed his teeth together.

"For Cassandra," Dick muttered.

"Be safe." Barbara added with a deep breath.

"I'm more worried about Crane." Dick said coldly. His eyes travelled down the alleyway. Jonathan Crane was moving quickly with two silver suitcases and his Scarecrow's mask stuffed in his jacket pocket. The escrima sticks were glued to Dick's gloved palms, and he jumped.

…

The back of Crane's head smacked against the wall behind him with a thud, and his eyes went dark for a quick second. He blinked and smiled seeing the masked face in front of him. "Back for more? How is my test subject? The female?" Crane asked, and Dick grit his teeth together, squeezing his fingers around his throat.

"You're going back to Arkham."

Crane laughed with a choke when Dick applied more pressure on his windpipe, "Cardiac arrest seems to be the side effect when the patient stays too long in the state of -" He was cut off by Dick's fist landing in his cheek.

"Oracle -" Dick pressed in his ear but it was immediately answered.

"I sent Dad your location, he's on his way." She said quickly, and Dick smiled looked back at Scarecrow's bloodied face.

"You're finished, Crane."

"So much anger – just like the other one." Scarecrow said quickly, a hissing noise came from Crane's wrist, and Dick's lungs felt foggy as the mist of the fear toxin filled the air. But Dick's fist tightened then collided with Crane's cheek then he dug for the blue syringe with the antidote and jammed it into his thigh, feeling his vision clear and his mind sharpen. Crane blinked, a bit dazed as his smile disappeared as he realized what just happened. "Impossible."

"You were sloppy with covering your tracks, what'd you expect?" Dick tossed the empty syringe aside, as red and blue lights flashed into their eyes. "Seems like your ride has arrived."

…

"Let me take her to the pit." Jason was holding his hand out towards the door.

"No." Bruce answered swiftly.

"Are you crazy?!" Tim said loudly.

"I know you don't like it, but it'll repair the damage done to her heart!" Jason's voice rose as he felt the frustration build in his chest. He could only imagine the pain that she felt in hers inside the room that was just behind that door he was standing next to.

"Exposure to the Lazarus Pit makes you insane. I will not -"

"Temporarily!" Jason yelled. Tim could only blink back the thought that Jason didn't look _temporarily insane_ right now, but then again, they were all getting desperate. Jason thought about her words tasting dust in his mouth as his teeth were grinding together, _"I make – my own – choices."_ He took a breath, "Let her decide."

Tim's eyebrows rose as Jason's calm and nearly silent voice. He noted that even Bruce had been taken aback, because his head snapped up about half an inch. "She is in no condition to be making her own decisions." Bruce said in a low tone.

"Fine, you sit here and do nothing. But I want her to live." Jason pushed on the door handle so hard that it became loose, and bursted through with his eyes directed on Cass under the tangle of the machines wires and tubes.

"Hey – you can't -" Doctor Peterson had a gloved hand out, but Jason grabbed onto it forcefully and glared at her underneath his mask. The other medics in the room were carefully watching the interaction between Jason and Doctor Peterson.

"Don't try to stop me," he warned.

"Don't!" Tim shouted behind him, but Bruce had his arms weakly wrapped around his shoulders. Jason watched Doctor Peterson's shoulders relax, and he released her arm.

"We're done here," she said finally.

"But Doc -" One of the nurses tried to voice her opinion.

"_We're done!_" She repeated more forcefully, and her head inclined with her eyes still looking into Jason's opaque lenses. "As much as I hate to admit it, we are limited with what we can do. She doesn't have a donor because of her negative blood type." She threw away her gloves and wrapped a stethoscope around her neck. "You have about a fourteen minute window. Keep in mind it's unpredictable. But if her heart stops, every second counts. She might have irreversible brain damage if you wait too long to give her CPR. Do you understand?" Jason nodded. "Kate, get her disconnected. Scott, I want you to make sure no one else sees them leave this room, and give him the respirator. The rest of you, follow me."

"I'm sorry Sarah, but I can't -" The one Doctor Peterson called Scott, stepped up with his hands in the air, staring directly at Jason then Bruce and Tim behind him.

"Then don't. Don't waste time. Brea, you do it. We have other patients that need our attention." She briskly started walking out of the room, but turned to look at Jason. "Good luck."

"Thank you." He nodded back, and she left the room, as the two nurses finished unhooking Cass. His arms slipped underneath her legs and the back of her neck, reminding him of the last time he came too close to losing her. He lifted Cass's limp body, after the nurse Brea, strung the portable respirator over his shoulders and his back. Jason could feel all their eyes on his back, when he kicked open the window and shot out a line.


	24. Chapter 24

_I almost forgot guys… Bruce has a Lazarus pit in the Batcave… I'm an idiot… so sorry!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 24

Cass felt her hair being mildly thrashed by the wind as goosebumps rose on her skin. Her heavy eyes opened to three bloody streaks on a broad chest, and she tilted her head up. "Jason – where are – we going?" She huffed, realizing the pull of the plastic mask on her face when she weakly tried to look passed his head. They were on a motorcycle.

He immediately looked down with a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. She could see the lines of worry in his expression, as sweat traced his jawline. Jason was already in a surprised state but even more so now that she was awake. "Lazarus pit," he shouted dryly.

Bruce had just told him over the com-link that he was keeping a Lazarus pit within the Batcave. It surprised even Jason that Bruce could go to such resorts sometimes. Confusion poured over Cass's face, then realization. It took her a minute to process, but now she understood. Was she really in such a bad condition that Jason was willing to take her to a pit? She almost asked, but decided to swallow her few words as they turned into a familiar road that led to the Manor, remembering that Bruce had mentioned once about a Lazarus pit he was thinking about keeping. He knew there were times for using it when needed, "In the cave?"

Jason nodded with his eyes wide and straight ahead. He gripped onto her tighter, barely believing that she was conscious right now. "Do you want this?" He directed his attention back down to her, glancing between the traffic and her face. She blinked back the flash of fear and insanity she felt the first time she immerged from the pit. "I know – it still scares me too, Cass." She knew that her eyes had connected with his, and she nodded.

"Just – stop me." She said shakily with a deep breath fogging up her plastic mask.

"Always." Jason said firmly with his old smirk. Cass leaned the back of her head into his arm, staring down at the claw marks in his chest, remembering the ones that were in her side, and her back feeling the sudden sting return.

"We match." She said with a brush of her finger against it and a small chuckle.

Jason shook his head, "I don't know if it's the anesthetics going to your head or if it's just you, but even now, you're cracking jokes." He said loudly, pulling on the handle of Tim's motorcycle as they weaved through two semi-trucks.

"Dick and Tim think – they are funny. Bruce is not funny at all." Jason had to lean his head down to hear what she was saying, but nonetheless, barely hearing her talk made the sick feeling in his stomach lighten and nearly disappear. "Who else?" She asked and Jason looked down at her.

"What? I'm not funny?" He asked through the roar of the wind, trying to keep her from fading back to unconsciousness. Her head slowly rocked side to side along his arm.

"Sometimes." She answered breathlessly. Jason's heart started beating faster, and he started taking more glances down at her. "Sometimes I don't – understand – jokes. Like iron."

"Irony?" He corrected shifting her weight leaning against him on the bike.

"Irony." She said affirming him with a pale smile. Jason could see that her thoughts were more jumbled, and she was struggling with words more than usual. "And – sar – sar -" Her chest heaved and she blinked with her eyes rolling back to get the heaviness out of her lids. The burn of the marks disappeared – in fact – she didn't even know if she still had arms or legs, or even as crazy as it sounded, she couldn't tell if she had extras.

"Sarcasm." Jason quickly tilted his shoulder, to get her to focus better, but instead her head rested in the crook of his neck. _Please stay awake._

"Right. Sar-casm." She said almost like a whisper. If she hadn't said it directly in his ear, he probably wouldn't have heard it.

"Cass. How're you feeling?" He shouted loudly with panic, it quickly subsided when he felt her hand reach over to the other side of his neck. Her grip on his shoulder was stronger than he expected and he sighed. Cass's head slowly drifted back down to his arm then against his chest.

"Your heartbeat. I hear it." Her voice was a louder this time, and she quietly giggled. "It's fast." _She's definitely got plenty of anesthetics in her system…_ Jason juggled the handlebars to the motorcycle as he bit the middle finger of his glove to pry it off with his teeth. His fingers were icy, but he pressed them against Cass's neck to check her pulse. _It's slowing down? It must be the antidote._ He smiled down at her with the glove still hanging from his mouth, and she giggled again. "Cold!" His smile turned into a full on grin, and he stuffed the glove down into his jacket pocket, knowing he was too preoccupied to even think about putting it back on. _She's – she's going to be alright._ Relief filled and emptied his lungs when he sighed.

"Don't you dare scare me like that, alright?" Jason said glancing down at her.

"Scare you?" She asked looking back up at him, touching a hand to the mask on her face. Cass started to pull at it, but Jason quickly pulled her hand away. Studying how her exhales fogged up the plastic. He looked back up the road and swerved, when he realized that he was nearly on the other side of the road. He was so happy that he wasn't paying attention to riding the motorcycle. Jason squinted seeing Wayne Manor in the distance ahead.

"We're almost there." He said quickly.

"There – where?" Jason looked down at her with his eyebrows furrowed and he swallowed feeling his own heartbeat quicken again. _Is this – the anesthetics – or is it –_ He shook his head cancelling out his thoughts. _No, if it were brain damage it'd be because her heart stopped again… Her heart rate was slowing down, Jason. Stop panicking._ His teeth pressed together.

"The cave." He answered, and he watched her hold a blink then look at him with realization filling her eyes. _No it can't be brain damage… _ "See?" They entered, and he slowed down the bike, focusing on where the location of the Lazarus pit was.

"Right. Cave." She said quickly, trying to get up on her feet. Cass's legs were unsteady as she tried to put her full weight on them, but Jason had slipped his shoulder underneath her arm bearing most of it.

"Hang on." Cass didn't know if her feet were even touching the ground. "I'll be right here." She wasn't even paying attention, until she realized that an active Lazarus pit was right in front of her. The wave of fear of insanity filled her stomach.

"J – Jason, no. I – I don't want to." He set her down on the ground, slipping the oxygen mask over her head as her eyes widened feeling the numbness disappear from her body.

"I know." His thumb brushed over her cheek. "I'll be right here. Remember?" Jason peeled off his domino mask, and squeezed his hand on hers. "Your heart - it's damaged, Cass. You have to go in." She could see sadness swimming in his irises. "Please."

Her chest expanded as she took a deep breath and she nodded, "I remember. You have – to stop me if -"

"I know. I will." He answered, helping her back up to his feet. She stared down at the bubbling iridescent water and turned her back towards it. She squeezed onto his hands, then let go, falling back to the let the waters of the pit catch her.

…

"Fancy seeing you back so soon, Jonny Boy!" Joker laughed, and Crane cocked his head up looking at Joker's battered and bruised face pressed up to the window of his door.

"Keep moving." He was forcefully shoved forward by one of the guards in white, as he cocked his head at Joker with an assured smile. Joker's face immediately lightened, and his own smile cracking the split in his lips.

Dick's eyebrows immediately furrowed seeing the quick exchange between the two, and grabbed onto Crane's straight jacket. "What are you planning?!" The four guards jolted, but stopped as they glanced at each other nervously.

"Planning?" Crane said with his signature smile.

Dick shook him, making Crane's head bob, "_Talk._"

"Isn't it rude to not give gifts in person? _I _think so." Joker asked loudly with a laugh. Dick immediately let go of Crane and looked through the window at Joker, studying the twisted spark in his eyes. The guards quickly got Crane back on his feet.

"_You_ planned this?" Dick's hands balled up.

"I'm the Joker! I don't plan anything, Bird Boy." He laughed with his head cocked back. Dick swallowed with his eyes wide behind his mask as he stepped back with his finger pressed in his ear.

"Batman, Oracle!" He picked up his feet and started running. "Joker is involved! This isn't over!"


	25. Chapter 25

**_A Reader:_** _Yep me too. Cass is way too bad ass to be some frilly princess who needs help all the time. _

_I'm trying to be speedy with my updates since I'm pressed for time!_

Chapter 25

Jason watched the surface of the water anxiously with his weight on the back of his leg as he stood in a stance. He hadn't realized that he was holding his breath, until he felt his lungs strain. _Come on, Cass._ Bubbles rippled on the water, and her face bursted through as she gasped. Jason felt his body lean forward, and he eyed her carefully.

Cass's skull nearly seemed like it was splitting, burning, and freezing all at the same time. Madness was seeping into the corner of her eyes as she sucked in air. Jason was standing at the edge of the water, but her vision was distorted by rage and nothing was clear. Her body, on impulse jolted her out of the water, with her arms wildly swinging.

"Cass! Stop!" Jason shouted, but his words were just as useful as his arms against her punches. She had already landed a few in his sides. His skin tingled as he looked at her wide grin stretch across her face. "Cass! Don't figh -" She spun into the air and her heel connected with his jaw. He flew onto his back, gasping for air. She rolled onto him with her hands gripping onto his collar, but before he could figure out what she was doing, his back slammed against the ground again. His eyes went dark so he blinked. She had kicked him over and tossed him. He could hear her starting to laugh hysterically as a wave of aches crawled down his spine. Jason pulled himself onto his feet with his hands up and his knees weakly bent. "Cass, you have to listen to me. Don't let it control you."

Cass's head wobbled to the side, and her face felt stiff. She blinked seeing the clearer image of Jason breathing heavily with a bloody lip. Her legs felt rubbery when she stepped forward. Jason immediately took a step back.

"Come on, just think, Cass." Jason's fingers twitched, and his eyes darted back and forth. Cass dropped down to her knees, succumbing to the numbness of her muscles, and he watched her smile disappear. He sighed and knelt down next to her. "Jesus, Cass." He rubbed his hand against his jaw and licked the blood off his lip.

"S – sorry." She muttered staring at the backs of her hands resting on her lap. They were shaking. Jason pressed his fingers against her ribcage checking for the claw marks. "Gone. No big deal," she said smiling and grabbing onto his hand.

"Just making sure," he brushed aside a piece of her wet hair out of her face, seeing the cut that was once on her cheek no longer there, then sliding his two fingers down to her neck to check her pulse. "Normal," he said with a sigh, dropping his hands down to the ground with a chuckle. He held a hand up to press into his ear, but realized that his com-link had been knocked out, and squinted across the floor to search for it, only to find it right next to him. He picked it up and placed it into his ear. "She's alright. Cass is alright." He repeated looking at her as he caught his breath.

"Thank God!" Barbara shouted through the com.

"Tell her to suit up." Bruce answered coldly.

"Wait – what?" Jason glanced into Cass's eyes, and she wrinkled her brows together at his outburst. "You can't be -"

"Dead serious," Bruce quickly said before Jason could finish, "According to Nightwing, Joker was involved the entire time."

"Joker?" Jason's voice became more like an animalistic growl as his stomach clenched into a ball. Cass's head bobbed up and her eyebrows rose slightly. Her hand latched onto his sleeve, but he shook her off and stood with his back towards her, staring holes down into the ground. "_Where is he_?"

"Still in his cell at Arkham," Bruce answered.

"Then how the hell -"

"Bruce!" Barbara yelled hysterically silencing them both.

"What is it?" Bruce asked quickly.

"I'm giving you the audio recording, now!" Static filled the com then shuffling of the sound device.

The voice on the com was now different, and clearing his throat dramatically. Jason's fingers curled and he bit the inside of his cheek as he listened. "Helloo! Betchya Bats think that I'm out and about bringin' a smile to Gotham's face, but I thought I'd coach from the sidelines, if you know what I mean." Joker said with an ending laugh. "Croc ole boy, decided to do a little favor for me and Jonny. Can you smarty pants guess what it is? Tick, Tock! Time's up! And the answer is – drum roll please…" His laugh was low, but short, "Jonsie, decided to stash a few of his own bits of fun with - _explosive_ parting gifts." He laughed again and took a deep breath, "I'll leave filling in the blanks to you... And take a bit of advice from a clown, I suggest that you start searching. Toode-a-loo!" But his deep cackle was cut short. "Oh and pass the message on, will ya, Bats? Tell Hoodie, I'll still hold up my promise, even though he's broken his."

Jason's breathing felt restricted against the anger building in his blood. _Promise?! I swear I'm going to kill that bastard! _

"The other hostages you recovered didn't have any devices on them." Oracle said with a sigh.

"And the doctors should be distributing the antidote." Tim's voice rose.

Jason's eyes darted towards the blue vials on a table near the computer, remembering that he hadn't taken any of it yet. But Cass was already up on her feet packing them into the compartments of her utility belt. He blinked, taking in the sight of her back in the Batgirl suit with the cowl pulled back. He took a breath, "Cass, toss me a ready one." She slipped on one of her gloves and flung a syringe in the air without looking. Jason swiftly caught it, and jammed the needle into his leg with a force that seemed a bit overkill.

Cass looked up and squinted, "Me too?"

"Just to be safe," Jason nodded as he approached her. She quickly followed and injected the antidote into her leg, looking at him through the corner of her eye. Jason was furious. He held his hand out and placed it on her forearm softly, but the way he did it was crude and jaggedly cut through the air. "Cass, you shouldn't be going back out." Her head rapidly snapped up with annoyance written in her expression.

"Okay – _Bruce_." She rolled her eyes while stuffing a com-link in her ear. And Jason let go just as irritated.

"_You _almost died." Jason said sharply. Joker had a message directed for_ him. _He didn't want her to come too close to death again.

She took a breath and pulled tried to pull the cowl over her head but Jason pushed down on her hand, her bottom jaw slightly tilted out, "Risk comes with job." Jason's fingers squeezed around hers, and she glanced down at his body language. "You think I'm stupid." She added bitterly.

"I didn't say that!" Jason let go as if he was disgusted with what she just said.

"Your body did," she countered with her teeth pressing together.

"I – It. Did. Not, Cassandra."

Her eyes widened at the use of her full name and she nearly scoffed. "Just like him." She muttered shaking her head.

"_Like who?_" Jason's eyebrows furrowed together with his mind fixated on the Joker, as he felt the irritation spread across his lips.

"_Bruce_." Cass tightened her gloves on.

"Oh, so now we're comparing each other to our mentors?" Jason's eyes narrowed, feeling his face and his chest get hot. "Alright, _Shiva_." Before he could blink, a fist crashed into his nose, making his tear ducts active, blurring his vision and slamming his back against the keyboard of the computer then down into the ground. Jason felt the blood sliding down the back of his throat.

"I am not weak." She said clearly, but her voice was a bit higher in pitch.

He blinked looking up at her face while rubbing the back of his hand against the blood that was running down his upper lip. He almost didn't realize that her eyes were misty, until she turned her back towards him, pretending to continue working on packing the compartments in her utility belt. Jason closed his eyes with a sigh. _Dick move, Jason…_ He steadily stood up. "Cass, I didn't mean it." Cass ignored him, snapping the belt around her waist as she walked away. Jason was used to her silence, but this time it made guilt feel like lead was being leaked into his bones. But then again it was for her own good. "Come on. I'm sorry, alright?" Her boots echoed against the floor of the cave. "You can't go out there, Cass!"

Jason's tone almost seemed like a whine of a spoiled child, and she turned around. "I am not weak. I don't need to - be protected. People need help – so I help." She pulled on her mask, "But maybe it was a mistake – helping you."


	26. Chapter 26

_Noticed that an entire section did not paste... sorry it probably didn't make sense... ha ha ha..._

_Disclaimer: I don't own DC or any of their characters._

Chapter 26

Jason angrily snapped his body into the air, then stomped his feet on a rooftop. _I was only trying to keep her safe! And how does she thank me?! She punches me in the goddamn nose!_ It had been only a few minutes since he saw Cass's back towards him as she left the cave, and the more he repeated her words inside his head, the angrier he got. He blinked behind his mask and shook his head. _Well, you really screwed up when you called her Shiva, Jason…_ He thought back, remembering the look in her eyes, and the silence she returned to him that made his limbs feel heavy. _She almost died so you just snapped! That's all! How the hell are you supposed to react in that kind of situation?!_ Jason took a deep breath and pushed off of the ledge of the building as he ran to jump into a dive down towards the ground. He quickly shot out a line, twisting himself sharply above another road.

His eyes flickered towards an old fishing warehouse with sheet metal covered walls. He could feel his stomach tighten at the sight of it. "Hey, I'm going to check on this warehouse."

"I've got your location, go ahead." Barbara answered through the com. Jason could almost hear the dread in her voice.

"What? You can't hate me _that_ much…" He chuckled, trying to lighten his own mood, but he got silence from the other end. "Right… The only reason why you guys even talk to me is because of her." Jason said with a sigh.

"We didn't mean to eavesdrop – but we heard." Barbara said suddenly. "Nightwing and I listened to all of it." Jason dropped down into a crouch near the warehouse's broken window and bit the inside of his cheek.

"No kidding, man." Dick interjected from the com. "You said some pretty harsh things."

"_I _said? You mean _she said_." Jason lowered his head pressing in his ear furiously, then bobbed it up to glance in warehouse. "Dammit. Empty," he spat. "You both know I was right. But she just didn't want to -"

"She got orders from the Big Bat. You can't stop her – especially if she gets the green light." Dick said with a bit of effort in his breathing. "It's – a trait all Batgirls - seem to have."

"And what does _that _mean?" Barbara's voice rose slightly.

"Nothing! It's a good thing!" Dick answered as if he was in a panic.

A red light flashed in the corner of Jason's eye, so he whipped his head around to check again. "Hang on, I take that back – I'm going in."

"What? What did you see?" Barbara asked quickly.

"Not sure yet." Jason answered as he quietly broke the window down, so he could fit. He squinted, but his pupils quickly dilated at the stench of blood and the decomposition of flesh nearly suffocating him.

* * *

Cass arched her back as she spun in the air. The times that she used the grapple gun always made her feel weightless, and it was as if she didn't have to think. But right now, she could still hear Jason's voice ringing in her ears.

"If I had to guess, Killer Croc would be somewhere he's been before." Babs said through the com. "Batgirl, I'm sending the location radius of where I want you to search on your GPS." Cass rolled over a ventilation shaft on the top of a building and landed in a one-handed hand stand. She lowered her feet to the rooftop, and pulled the GPS out of her utility belt. The screen lit up and a red dot started blinking.

"Okay." Cass snapped the GPS back into her belt, picturing the streets in that area she patrolled. It wasn't far from where she was now, so she quickly pulled out her grapple gun to sling shot herself in the air. She thought back at her words in the cave, wondering if she really should have said those things to Jason. She was Batgirl before he even met her. And he was the Red Hood. Cass didn't understand that Jason, of all people, was worried about death when it used to be so easy for him to kill. She bit her bottom lip in frustration, then sighed. Jason just wanted to keep her safe. Sometimes he forgets that part of her was always going to be a vigilante – even if that meant it would kill her. Cass would sometimes think about death. What she would leave behind – although it wasn't much – it scared her more than death itself. She shook her head and swallowed. "Too many thoughts." She muttered, remembering that thinking used to be easy when her body used to do it for her.

"I – I found the hostages." Jason voice snapped Cass's ears to attention and she held her breath. But something was off about the way he spoke. "They're dead. They – they have been for a while." His tone was low and breathless; Cass knew he was furious. "It's over."

Cass's eyes rose solemnly and she stared at the metal building that seemed like it was floating on the water. "Let's go home." Dick said over the com.

"Gordon and his team will take care of the rest." Cass could hear the complete and utter disappointment in Bruce's monotoned voice.

Cass nearly lost her grip on the handle of the grapple gun. With the sound of an explosion, a wave of heat collided with her body. She blinked, looking at the warehouse spewing smoke, metal, and fire. Her lungs contracted, as she hoped that no one had been in there – but the dots in her brain started to connect –

"Jason!" Babs and Dick both shouted simultaneously into the com-link.

"Jason, the building – where are you?!" The audio turned to static, "Jason!" Babs screamed. Cass's eyes widened, and she let go, slamming her body into the rooftop of a building. She felt the scrapes of the ungraceful landing starting to burn on her skin. Her head snapped up staring at the building on the water, and she tried to stand with her cape wrapped around in her hands so she could glide down to the ground in front of its bent entrance. The ground connected with her feet as she quickly glanced at the skewed doors.

Cass's eyes locked onto the barrel of a silver handgun, and her muscles began to shake. "Jason!' She screamed launching forward in the heat wave of the fire. The smell of burnt hair made her nose cringe, but she barely noticed as she searched frantically through the flames. The smoke was seeping into her mask, and she coughed. "Jason!" Her hand had lifted to her forehead so she could squint through her lenses, and her eyes caught a boot that was tucked under a metal sheet. The heartbeat in her chest stopped. The roar of the fire was screaming in her ears. Salt water started soaking the cloth on her face, and her breath shortened. Jason was lying underneath metal, bricks, and wood with a deep gash along the side of his face nearly ripping off his mask, and blood flowed out of his ears. Her voice became shaken. "J – Jason. Wake up." She placed her hand on his face, but there was no response. "Wake up. I'm sorry. So sorry. Please – wake up." Her gloved fingers ran through his hair, then quickly into her utility belt to strap a re-breather to his face.

Cass instantly dug her shoulder into the sheet metal, feeling it bite into her skin, and lifted it up away from his body as she grabbed onto his jacket to drag him out from under it. Her legs and arms shook when she tried to bear his weight.

"Cass!" She snapped her head back at the sound of her name, realizing that it was Dick weaving through the burning pieces of the building. "Cass!"

"Here!" Cass shouted hysterically, and Dick's mask came into view. "H – Help me."

Dick glanced down at Jason's body, and took a deep breath within his re-breather. He noticed Cass's hands trembling. _This is bad. _"Don't worry, it'll be alright." Dick slumped Jason's body over his shoulders for a fireman's carry. Jason's chest against his shoulder blades moved, but barely. _Good, he's breathing._ He could see blood trickle down Cass's arm from a deep gash down to her fingertips.

Cass's teeth clattered together. _Stupid! Jason is right! You are Stupid! _She squeezed her eyes shut as she ran swiftly behind Dick until they were on the barren concrete platform just outside the warehouse. It groaned and creaked as if fell to ground, shaking Cass's eardrums until they ached. She snapped her attention back to Dick pulling Jason down from his shoulders and leaning him against a shipping crate with a huff. "Jason is -"

"He'll be fine." Dick answered quickly. Cass's eyebrows were furrowed and she pulled back her cowl, studying the bloodstains on Jason's body.

"But -" She swallowed the sand-like feeling forming in her throat.

"He's alright, Cass." Dick said softly this time. The blurred image of Dick pulling out bandages and wrapping them around Jason's head made her take a shaky breath. Cass nearly bit through her cheek thinking in frustration. Jason was hurt and here she was, standing and watching. Never in her life did she feel as useless as she did now.


	27. Final Chapter

_Final Chapter! Be sure to check my poll on my profile when you're finished reading! XD You will all be waiting 8 weeks until I graduate basic training for my next one. Sorry! Thank you all very much for reading and encouraging me to continue writing! It's been awesome!_

Chapter 27

"Miss Cassandra, your room is ready if you'd like." Alfred stood off to the side of the doorway with a tray of bloody bandages.

Cass cleared her throat, staring down at her hands as she sat down in the chair next to the bed. Jason's breathing had a slight wheeze to it, but it wasn't enough to put a respirator on him. "I'll stay."

"Very well then," Alfred answered in a low tone, and shut the door behind him as he stepped out. Cass looked up at Jason's face, and she placed her hand on his forehead. Her hands were cool compared to the warmth on his skin. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _I'm sorry._

Her ears caught footsteps leading towards the door from the outside hallway, and a knock tapped her attention towards it. "Come in," Cass said softly.

Tim was still in his Robin's costume, but without the mask. Cass looked away from his piercing blue eyes back onto Jason's face. "How's he doing?" She was quiet for a minute then opened her mouth to speak.

"Dick says - he just needs to sleep," she answered quietly. Tim eyed her and pressed his back against the wall with his arms crossed.

"What about you?" He asked watching her profile. Her lips were pressed together in a thin line. Tim knew she didn't want to talk, and that made his stomach ball up and his heart stutter. "Cass?"

"Tim, I said things – _bad_ things." Her voice shook, so she leaned forward to hide her face in her hands.

"It'll be alright." Tim put his hand between her shoulder blades.

"What if – what if he doesn't forgive?" She buried her face deeper and shook her head.

"He will. If it's anyone he'll forgive, it'll be you Cass." Tim patted her back and held his breath, then released it. "As much as we all didn't like it, but after tonight - we see that you two just – fit. I don't know how to explain it, exactly…" He trailed off when Cass's head rose and her hands dropped back down to rest on her lap. "But the point is – you'll figure it out." Tim couldn't believe that he was the one struggling with words right now. He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to hide the embarrassment on his cheek as he walked away. When he placed it on the door knob, he stopped to look back at her. "Hey Cass?" She looked up at him, and he smiled. "I'm – glad you're okay." The corner of her mouth tugged into a soft smile and she inclined her head as he walked out of the door.

…

Cass's eyes flickered open, and she glanced at the red numbers blaring on the alarm clock. She had fallen asleep for less than an hour, so she shook her head to wake up. Her attention shifted onto Jason. His forehead was creased as he took a deep breath. Cass's stomach seemed to feel lighter, and his eyes opened. He blinked around, trying to adjust himself to the darkness of the room.

"Where – am I?" His hand rose to rub the aches out of his temple, but only to find bandages and stiches there.

"The Manor," a voice off to the side of his said softly.

"What?" He held a blink for a minute to roll his eyes back and focus.

Cass smiled guiltily, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry." She pressed her lips against his cheek, burying her face into his shoulder.

"Sorry for what?" Jason asked in her ear. Cass swallowed, pulling her head back, but realized the stiffness in his body and the shock in his eyes. She nearly choked on her own gasp, and quickly let go of him. His brows were wrinkled together as he studied her features. "Who are you?"


End file.
